Shattered Thoughts and Broken Dreams
by Alonia Everclear
Summary: SEIFTIS! On vacation Quistis uncovers a plot within Esthar. Stealing her way into Dr.Odines lab she enters a Time Compression Machine to help a certian exstudent. But are they ready to face the consequences of their actions?
1. Vacation

Disclaimer: This goes for the whole story, because I don't feel like repeating myself every chapter. I don't own the character, all tho I'll take Seifer, if he's for sale. Anyways on with the story.   
  
  
  


~*~Chapter One~*~   
Vacation 

  
  
  
  
  
  
"Class Dismissed" Quistis said with a smile as the bell rang for lunch. The students filed past her happily, gossiping. She sighed and picked up her bags to head to the cafeteria. So many things to do, so little time. Maybe I'll get some work done this lunch. She walked into the cafeteria and got a cup of coffee, black, before sitting down. She pulled out some papers that needed to be graded and a red pen. Then Zell plopped down right in front of her with a plate full of steaming hot dogs.   
  
"Hey Quisty" he said happily taking a huge bite off the end of his first hotdog. She forcedly smiled, I'll never get any work done now.   
  
"Hello Zell" she replied through her fake smile. She huffily threw her papers back in her bag when Selphie and Irvine joined Zell at her table.   
  
"Zelly!" a voice came from a nearby table. It was his girlfriend, the library girl, Jillian. Zell waved her over and she joined them at Quistis' table. Quistis could hardly suppress a groan when Squall and Rinoa took the last two remaining chairs. They all talked and laughed around her, but not with her. She was quiet sullen as she mulled over the things that needed to be done. Grade papers, enter them into her lap top. Catch up on her research, take a trip to the training center. She sighed out loud then brushing a piece of blond hair from her face.   
  
"Wassa matter Quisty" Zell said around a mouth full of hotdog.   
  
"Oh nothing" She answered with that smile again. She wanted to scream at them to just give her some peace. But they were her friends, and they cared right? Selphie suddenly grinned and looked around the table.   
  
"Guess what time it is again" The bubbly girl asked. Quistis did groan out loud this time. There was no way she would have time to help Selphie with the Garden Festival. Well, I'll just have to make time. She sat her lips in a determined line and nodded her head.   
  
"Will Quistis Trepe, Instructor No. 14 please report to the Headmasters Office immediatly" Xu's voice blared over the loud speaker giving her an escape from the table. She smiled at her friends and quickly excused herself. Maybe Cid had a new mission for her. She put on her best smile has she walked into the office. Xu ushed her in, leaving her in the room with Cid and Edea.   
  
"Matron!" Quistis said giving her only mother figure a hug. Cid smiled watching the two of them before Quistis took a seat.   
  
"Quistis, you know quite well that we are very impressed with your teaching techniques. You do an excellent job now that you've matured a little more" Cid started off. Quistis felt her heart sink, he was taking away her license again, she just knew it.   
  
"But, we are worried about you Quistis" Eadea cut in putting on her motherly voice. Cid nodded letting his wife take over for the moment. Edea sat down in the chair beside Quistis and took one of her hands.   
  
"Worried?" Quistis said raising an eyebrow.   
  
"Your over working yourself, we want you to take a vacation" Edea said at last getting out the point of this whole meeting.   
  
" A vacation?! what about my classes and my training?" Quistis said standing up. They want me to leave all my work behind?   
  
"I'll be taking over your classes, and Quistis your young. You have your whole life to train" Edea said standing up beside her. Quistis shook her head and looked pleadingly at Cid.   
  
"Quistis this is your next mission. You are to take a two week vacation in Esthar. You will not report in till the last day, then someone will arrive to bring you back in the Ragnarok" Cid said with a grin splitting across his face. Quistis groaned aloud for the second time that day before shaking her head. Well, at least in Esthar I can get some reading done.   
  
"Selphie will be by your room in a few hours to take you to Esthar on the Ragnarok" Cid said before he dismissed her. Quistis left the room with a sigh and stepped on the elevator. It zoomed her to the dorm level and she walked disheartened to her dorm.   
  
"A vacation" she said out loud as she slipped into her small dorm. It was sparsely decorated with a few pictures hanging on the walls. A small bookshelf and a big comfy chair sat on one side of the room while a couch and a coffee table were on the other. She walked through the little door to her bedroom, setting her bags on the couch. She pulled her suitcase from under the bed and began to throw assorted outfits into it not really caring what she packed.   
  
Awhile later just as she got done throwing the last of what she needed in the bag, there was a happy knock at her door. (If anyone could knock happy, it would be Selphie)   
  
"Come in, Selphie" Quistis said zipping the bag shut. Selphie bounced into the room, in her usual yellow sun dress.   
  
"All ready for your vacation, Quisty?" Selphie asked with a happy smile.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks! 


	2. Room Service

  
  


~*~Chapter Two~*~   
Room Service 

  
  
  
  
  
  
"Thrilled" Quistis said letting her sarcasm get the better of her. Selphie only shook her head and followed Quistis out of the room, who made sure to lock the door behind her. The two girls walked through the garden to the Ragnarok, only stopping a few times to say hello and good-bye to a few people. Selphie smiled in glee as the boarded the Ragnarok. Quistis slid into the navigator chair beside her and picked up the small packet that laid there.   
  
"What's this?" Quistis asked with a frown.   
  
"Cid told me to make sure you got it" Selphie said starting up the engine. Quistis opened the package slowly. First thing that was inside was a key card, with the words "Royal Esthar Suites" sprawled across it in cursive writing.   
  
"Hotel Key" Quistis said out loud before slipping it into her purse. Then there was a large envelope. She pulled it open and her eyes widened. It was packed full of Gil, and held two shiny plastic credit cards. There was a note in Cid's hand writing that said "Make sure you have a good vacation, Quistis"   
  
"Wow! Imagine all the shopping you can do!" Selphie said with a squeal. Quistis tucked the Gil away into her purse.   
  
"I probably won't do much shopping" Quistis said. Selphie shook her head a little and smiled.   
  
"Well, you better. Cid wants to see all of that Gil gone when you get home" Selphie said with a small giggle. Quistis shook her head and stared out the window for the rest of the journey to Esthar. Selphie landed the Ragnarok expertly on the landing pad and left Quistis with a big hug.   
  
"Thanks Selphie" Quistis said with a smile. Selphie and the Ragnarok left her then, alone in the Esthar airport. She walked through the hustle and bustle of people clutching her suitcase tightly. It was a short lift ride to the huge building that was the Royal Esthar Suites.   
  
The glass building towered before her, shining in the daylight sun. You could look right into the bottom floor through the glass, but the other floors were smoked over. She sighed and walked inside grabbing the key from her purse. She stepped up to the desk, looking at the handsome man that was there.   
  
"How can I help you miss?" he said with his eyes traveling down her body. She smiled slightly, it had been a long time since a man looked at her that way.   
  
"My name is Quistis Trepe, and I have a room here. I just arrived and there is no number on my room key" she said putting on her sweetest smile.   
  
"Of course Miss Trepe" he said taking the key from her hand. He clicked away on the computer for a moment before turning around and pulling out a different key.   
  
"Your on the top floor" he said handing then both to her with a smile.   
  
"Two?" she said frowning.   
  
"Ah yes, the one with no number is for the elevator. The other is for the room" he said winking at her. She smiled again and picked up her suitcase as she walked away. She stepped into one of the waiting silver elevators. She looked around for a moment before spotting a place to slide her key card. Sheslid it in and the elevator zoomed up to the top floor. She stepped off into a small hallway, clean and simple leading to an ornately carved oak door.   
  
The slot for the key card blinked at her when she slid they key in. The door opened on its own accord, leading her into the huge hotel suite. She dropped her bag and looked around in amazement. The room was big enough for eight people, the smokey glass all the way around allowing her to see out but no one to see in. The first room was the main room, adorned with a huge couch and love seat set facing an enourmus entertainment center. Irvine would love that.   
  
Off to the side was a kitchen with a bar wrapping around in front of it. Beside the bar was a huge dinning room table beside door leading off onto the stone balcony. Three doors stood open against the back wall as she headed towards them. In the middle was a bathroom that was bigger then her dorm room at home. At one side there was a bedroom, all done up in deep purples and blues.   
  
The second bedroom was the one she chose to sleep in. It was done in deep rich browns and creams. She wandered a round the room for a bit before spotting the room service menu on the bar. She smiled lightly picking it up, eyeing the selection. She grinned suddenly and looked over at her purse. She raced to the phone and dialed the number quickly.   
  
"Room Service" a voice said from the other side of the phone.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
  



	3. Top Secret

  
  


~*~Chapter Three~*~   
Top Secret   
  
  
  
  
  


Quistis awoke the next morning, stretching lazily in the huge soft bed. She hadn'tslept so good, in a very long time. The alarm clock on the night stand next to her read 11 o' clock. She sighed and pulled herself up out of bed, padding around her in silky pink robe.   
  
She stepped out onto the balcony letting the wind blow around her loose hair. She could see the whole city of Esthar from up here. There were only two buildings higher, the air station and the presidential palace. That remained her.   
  
"I think I'll go visit President Laguna and Dr. Odine today" she said out loud to herself.   
  
She walked back into the room quickly getting dressed. She choose a pair of blue jeans and a pink tank top. She smiled deciding to leave her hair down and she grabbed her purse and left the room.   
  
She choose to walk to the towering pesidential palace enjoying the freshness of the air. Maybe Cid was right, I did need this. She walked up to the two guards standing in front of the doors to the presidential palace.   
  
"Hello, Quistis Trepe to see President Laguna Loire" She said flashing them her SeeD badge. She wanted to snicker, it sounded like something from a bad movie. They quickly moved out of her way once seeing her Balamb SeeD badge. She rode the tiny lift up to Laguna's office and knocked solidly before entering.   
  
"Why Miss Trepe, what brings you here" Laguna said standing up when Ward let her into the office. She smiled up at Ward before crossing the room to hug Laguna.   
  
"I'm on a vacation and thought I would stop by" she said sitting down in front of his huge oak desk. Laguna nodded his head and smiled.   
  
"How nice of you to drop by, but I'm a bit busy right now. Do you think we can make a later date for tea" he said with his goofy grin. Quistis smiled back and nodded her head. They quickly set up and apointment before Ward led her out. She hugged the huge, mute man before leaving the presidential palace and heading toward Dr. Odine's lab.   
  
The lab was bustleing with activity when she arrived. All the people looked at her weirly but none of the scientest stopped to direct her towards Odine, so she decided to look for herself. She was nearing a the last lab when she heard a familier voice, from the other side of the door.   
  
"It haz to be perfect. I dont zink that hez going to come out ok. It iz top zecret. Tell no one" the voice said from the other side of the door. Quistis raised her eyes brows and inched closer to the door. It suddenly swung open revealing Dr. Odine walking out.   
  
"Quiztiz" He exclaimed happily, oblivous of her eves dropping. She smiled at the funny little man and follow him as he busleted down the hallway. "How are you Dr.Odine?" She asked as they walked down the hallway away from his lab.   
  
"I am good, we have been very buzy the pazt few weekz" Odine said leading her into his office. Quistis' couriosity was killing her.   
  
What was Dr.Odine hiding from her.   
  
What had he been talking about when she was evedropping.   
  
Why had Laguna gotten rid of her so quickly.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
Sorry if this chapter was too short!   
  
  



	4. Plans

  
  


~*~Chapter Four~*~   
Plans   
  
  
  
  
  


"What has been going on, Dr.?" Quistis asked trying to be non-chalant. Dr. Odine smiled and shook his head.   
  
"It iz top zercrt, I can tell no one" he replied. Quistis only nodded her head and sank down into one of his plush office chairs. He sat down at his desk and smiled at her. The door suddenly sung open and a scientest barged in.   
  
"Dr. Odine! We need you imeaditly, the paitents vital signs are dropping" The scientest said before rushing back out of the office.   
  
"I'll be right back. You stay here Mz. Trepe" Odine said following the man out in a rush. Quistis said as the door shut and she was left in the office alone. She looked around at the blank walls for a few minutes before standing up and moving around the office. A long table sat agaisnt the wall on one side of the room. She stopped and stared at the plans lying there with wide eyes.   
  
"Time Compression Machine" she read aloud the words that were scrawled across the top of the page. Quistis raised her eyebrows slowly. What in the world wold Dr.Odine be making a time compression machine for? She grabbed the first sheet off the copies of the plans folding it quickly before sliding it into her purse. She hurridly sat back down as she head footsteps comming up the hall. A different scientest burst into the room and skidded to a stop.   
  
"Dr. Odine bags you to excuse his rudeness, but you'll have to come back tomorrow" the scientest said with a smile. Quistis smiled back and stood up slowy her heart thumping.   
  
"Thank you, I can find my own way out" Qusitsis said brushing past him. She tried to walk quickly out without looking to guilty. She took the lift back to her hotel and didnt stop untill she was safly inside her little suite.   
  
She plopped down on the couch and dumped her purse on the table before her. Gil and make-up rolled all over the table, as the plans fluttered down. She pushed all the other stuff to the side and stared at the blue plans.   
  
She frowned imagining the large piece of metal this was dictating. Like a huge tube, that a person could step in. It would send someone into time compression. Quistis drew her eyes brows together with a sigh.   
  
Why would Dr.Odine need to send anyone in time compression?   
  
Quistis made up her mind right then and there.   
  
She was determined to find out.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
Sorry if this chapter was too short! I'm trying :(   
  



	5. Mrs. Bluestar, Seifer Almasy

  
  


~*~Chapter Five~*~   
Mrs.Bluestar   
Seifer Almasy   
  
  
  
  
  


Quistis awoke the next morning with a sense of purpose. One that she hadn't had since the defeat of Ultimicia. She flung herself out of bed and streached, welcomeing the morning sun that was streaming through the glass walls of the hotel. She walked out to the kitchen area and turned on the coffee pot as she hopped into the huge shower.   
  
Bathing quickly she sat down with her morning cup of coffe in front of the plans. She stared down at them trying to decicde what to do. It came to her suddenly as she took the last swig of her coffee.   
  
She went in and mulled over all of cloths picking out her most proffesional looking outfit, and threw her hair up in a tight bun. She tucked the plans away in the dresser drawer before leaving. Instead of taking the lift to the lab, she made the walk along the long blue bridge taking in the sights of the city.   
  
She sighed stopping before the lab to gather her bearings. She slipped into the lab, glancing around before slipping into a corridor that led off the main one. Her heels clacked agaisnt the floor, as she entered the locker room. White lab coats lined the wall, each hanging from a metal peg in the wall. Lockers were against the other wall holding personal objects and the like.   
  
She grabbed one of the lab coats and threw it on over her black suit. She put on her glasses to look more professional. She only hoped no one would notice she didnt have an ID badge.   
  
She left the locker room, the white lab jacket hanging down to her knees. The hallway was empty as she walked toward the lab. The lab door stood in front of her, tall and imposing. She leaned against it for a moment trying to decifer the voices behind it. None were recognizable as Dr.Odine, so she slid into the lab room.   
  
It was huge, one wall made completely of blue glass. Key boards and computer screens lined each wall, except the one the door stood on. Two young scientists sat at the first two modules, eyeing her as she walked in.   
  
"At ease, boys" she said giving them a charming feminine smile. One of them grinned lopsidedly back at her. The other frowned, staring at her.   
  
"I'm the new transfer comming in from the Lunatic Pandora site" she said her voice as sweet as honey. She prayed that there was a Lunatic Pandora site, and that they bought her lie. Both of the boys nodded before standing up. They saluted her and both smiled.   
  
"How is it out at the Pandora, Mrs. Bluestar?" the lopsided smile one asked his eyes traveling over her body.   
  
"Hard work, but thats all behind me now" she said the smile still plastered across her face. They both nodded and sat back down. She started walking closer to the wall, her heart pounding. Mrs.Bluestar. She had to remember that name.   
  
Approaching the wall she stopped between the two younger mens chairs and looked down into the lowered room. She remembered her dreams that Elleone had giving them all. A huge machine sat against the left wall, its interior glowing eriely blue. Immediatly she knew that was the Time Compression Machine.   
  
Her eyes traveled across the room, to an operating table. Wires trailed up from machine to the man that laid there. He lay on his back covered to his torso by a white wheet. His muscular chest gleamed in the blue light (*drool*). The spikey blond hair and the scar that led across the bridge of his nose were unmistakable.   
  
"Seifer Almasy" she said out loud, her heart still pounding rapidly. This was impossiable. All reports of him, said that he was living in FH now. She shook her head and stared down at him.   
  
"Yah, he was brought over from the wreckage of the Pandora a few weeks ago" One of the men behind her said. She nodded and back up a few steps.   
  
"I have to report to Dr.Odine" she lied rushing out of the room her mind a whirl. She had to find out what the hell was going on. I have to get in there to see him. She frowned and rushed out of the laboratory. Futhermore she had to stop Mrs.Bluestar before she blew all of Quistis' plans.   
  
She ditched the white lab coat in the locker room and left the lab, and headed toward Odine's office. Luckily Dr.Odine wasnt there as she slipped in. She shivered in excitement. It felt so good to be doing something again. She crept over to his file cabinet and pulled out the folder labled Mrs.Bluestar.   
  
She grabbed it and headed out of the office, thinking that this was all a little too convienient.   
  
She spotted Odine walking down the hallway and ducked into the matience closet, getting cozy with the brooms and mops waiting for him to pass. She left the lab, the image of Seifer lying there with all the wires hooked up to him still imbeded in her brain.   
  
It was time to find this Mrs.Bluestar, and see what she could tell Quistis.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
Do you guys like this fic? I feel kind of empty about it. I mainly put it up cause I feel that way about it. I dont want to beg for reviews, but some constructive critisim will be nice, to let me know how i can make this better.   
*waves to grrl gammer* this is my new quifer epic, i hopes you like. You did request I put it up after all. 


	6. Annie

  
  


~*~Chapter Six~*~   
Annie 

  
  
  
  
  
  
The hotel room was dark when she arrived. Making short work of that she flicked on every light she could see. Why was Seifer in that laboratory room. How had he gotten there? Quistis sighed out loud and plopped down on the couch. She opened up the file on the coffee table and started to flip through it. Personal details were listed there, along with an address and a phone number. Quickly scanning the detail Quistis grinned and leaned over to pick up the phone.   
  
"Hello" came a rich female voice from the other said.   
  
"Mrs.. Bluestar?" Quistis asked.   
  
"Speaking how can I help you?"   
  
"I need to ask you some questions. I was Seifer Almasy's lover before the sorceress war" Quistis said deciding to fabricate the truth.   
  
"Oh. Then how about we meet for dinner tonight" Mrs.. Bluestar replied flatly. The two women sat up a time and a restaurant before saying their cheery good-byes.   
  
  
  
The restaurant Mrs..Bluestar had chosen wasn't a fancy place, but the smells that were wafting out of the open windows were extremely enticing. Quistis stood out front in a soft pink sundress, her blond hair flowing around her shoulders. She clutched her purse strongly to her side keeping an eye out for pick pockets.   
  
"Ms. Trepe" a woman's voice said from behind her. She turned quickly plastering up a smile. The woman was short, but very thin. Her brown eyes scrutinized Quistis, before letting a smile spread across her face.   
  
"Mrs..Bluestar?" Quistis asked.   
  
"Annie, please" the short woman said leading the way into the restaurant.   
  
"I'm Quistis"   
  
"I know" Annie said as they were being led to a booth in the back corner.   
  
"How do you know?" Quistis asked sliding into the booth.   
  
"I've done extensive study of the last sorceress war" Annie said with a smile. The waiter arrived then and they ordered quickly, before he took their menus away.   
  
"You have?" the blond SeeD said arching a delicate eyebrow.   
  
"I also know you were not Seifer Almasy's lover, he was your student" Annie said with a polite smile.   
  
"Yes, we grew up together"   
  
"So you want to know of how I found him in the Pandora, dontcha?" Annie asked settling back in her seat.   
  
"I would"   
  
"It isn't much of a big story really, It's the main reason why they moved me. Cut my pay as well, to keep me quiet" Annie said looking down at the table.   
  
"I'll pay you for your information" Quisits said thinking of all of the Headmasters Gil in her purse.   
  
"No that won't be necessary" Annie replied. Quistis nodded as the small woman continued with her story.   
  
"Our main operation at the Pandora, was to take the thing apart. It was President Loire's orders to make sure it could never be used again. Smart man if you ask me. Since I was the smallest one there, I always had to slid into the smallest places. And one day, on my exploration, there he was the infamous Seifer Almasy. Nothin' would wake him up, I even tried hitting him. So they moved him out, and moved me here" Annie finished up as their food arrived.   
  
"What about the Time Compression Machine? Do you know anything about it?" Quistis asked taking a bite of her savory food.   
  
"That was Dr.Odine's theory. The patient is lost in Time Compression" Annie said. Quistis raised her eyebrows again.   
  
"So they made the machine, and were going to send you into get him"   
  
"Yes" Annie replied.   
  
"I have a better idea, let me take your place" Quistis said.   
  
"But I have two children and a crippled husband to take care of. I need the pay" Annie said sadly. Quistis pulled out a large sum of Gil. Probably more then the woman had seen in her whole life.   
  
"Take this and leave Esthar. Go to Timber, or Winhill and start a new life for yourself" Quistis said. Annie gapped at the money for a moment then looked up at Quistis.   
  
"You'll need these" she said reaching into her purse and pulling out her lab ID and keycard. The two women exchanged across the table, Annie still staring unbelievably at the Gil.   
  
"Thank you Annie" Quistis said.   
  
"No, thank you Ms. Trepe" the short woman said leaving Quistis alone at the table. Quistis smiled looking down at the keycard. She was so happy she didn't even mind paying the bill.   
  
  
  
She returned to the hotel room, shortly after dinner. The room really was beginning to feel like home to her. She walked over to the dinning room and sat down pulling out the ID badge. She pulled out her SeeD badge and laid it beside the other. She smiled and began the long process of switching her picture on to the ID badge.   
  
  
  
She groaned and stretched her back hurting from being hunched over for so long. She looked down at her masterpiece with a smile. The only person that would recognize it as a fake was Dr. Odine and that was only because he knew her. She stood up and crossed the plush floor of the hotel room sitting down next to the phone. There was only one last thing to do. She quickly dialed a familiar number.   
  
"Hello" came a cheery voice from the other side.   
  
"Hey Selphie" Quistis said into the receiver. A happy shriek resounded from the other side and Selphie launched into asking her a million questions at once. Quistis laughed and answered them all before getting right to the point.   
  
"Hey Selph, I need you to do me a favor" Quistis asked with a grin.   
  
"What is it"   
  
"I somehow need you to sneak into the Headmasters Office and fax me Seifer's file" Quistis said.   
  
"Seifer! why?" Selphie asked her shock ringing through the phone. Quistis quickly explained the situation to her, leaving out a few key details.   
  
"Wow, Quisty, that's deep. Well it's Selphie the spy to your rescue. I'll try and have them there by tomorrow" Selphie said enthusiastically.   
  
"Thanks Selphie" Quistis said. Quistis gave her the fax number for her hotel room. The two women said their good-byes, before Quistis but the receiver back on the cradle. She went to the bedroom to get the Time Compression Machine plans.   
  
"One must always be prepared" she said sitting down to get to know the plans a bit better.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
  



	7. Black

  
  


~*~Chapter Seven~*~   
Black 

  
  
  
  
  
  
Quistis was awakened the next morning by the sound of the fax machine rining. She jumped up from the couch realizing that she had fallen asleep there. She rushed over the the fax and quickly pressed the recive button. She was greeted promptly with a picture of Seifer Almasy spitting out. She held it in her hand, as a thin smile spread across her face.   
  
It was taken long before he had turned agaisnt them all. He looked youthful, with his smirk. The scar across the brisge of his nose was very prominate. She sighed and left the fax machine to do the rest of the job while she hopped in the shower.   
  
Drying her hair with a towel, she returned to the living room. Her long pink robe trailed behind her as she spread out all the information across the dinning table. She sat down in one of the red upulstored chairs and crossed her long legs.   
  
She sighed picking up the page of Seifer's file. It gave her detailed reports about where he live, what job he held. Raijun and Fuijun were living with him, working as well. He had made no attempt to contact Garden, and they hadn't let him know they were keeping tabs. He was considered harmless now, broken, a tool that had been used and tossed aside.   
  
Seifer truely had always been her favorite student. Even though he was the reason she had lost her license. She understood that she had failed him, not the other way around. He had always been such an enigma to her. The only student she had never been able to figure out. She looked down at the report of Seifer's lifestyle now. It seemed so unlike him to live in peaceful FH. SHe shook her head and sighed outloud. If he was spossed to be in FH, then who was that at the lab. She stodd up streaching, like a cat in the morning sun. She walked into the bed room to get ready to go.   
  
The stars were tinkling over Esthar when she decided to enter the lab. Dr. Odine should be gone for the night by now. It was eriely silent as she walked through the corridor to the lab. The white lights lining the hallway, were dimly lit. She walked passed offices and rooms were people worked silently. She took the keycard from her pocket and slid it into the flashing comcenter on the wall beside the huge lab door.   
  
It slid open, the huge lab lit only by the blue glow of the time compression machine below. She walked to the huge glass wall looking down at the Seifer look alike below. She turned and walked down the flight of stairs to the huge metal door the led into the lowered room. Another comcenter waited for her. She took a deep breath and slid the ID card though. The door opened slowly allowing her into the deep room. She walked slowly over to Seifer stopping a few feet from his table.   
  
He was breathing, evenly but shallow. Pads were stuck to his temples and his bi-ceps. His eyes were closed, long lashes resting on his cheekbones. He was thinner then she remembered. His strong cheek bones even more pronounced. He was muscualr still, all his years of hard traning hadn't let him. The scar that streached across the bridge of his noze was still prominante.   
  
She turned sharply then eyeing the Time Compression Machine. She walked across the metal floor. She stood before the huge metal machine. The controls and dials flashed at he. She set the proper cordinated and pushed open the huge door. She stepped into the cyllinder of the machine, her heart pounding agaisnt her ribs. She slowly pulled the door closed behind her, latching it shut. The red button on the inside of the machine screamed at her to be pressed. She took a deep breath, then pushed it solidly. A bright white light flashed around her as the whole machine seemed to spin.   
  
She fell back agaist the metal wall, as the world around her went black.   
  
  
  
A/n: My proof reader is out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
All kinds of good stuff happening next, stay tuned! :)   
  



	8. Midnight Dance, Romantic Dream

  
  


~*~Chapter Eight~*~   
Midnight Dance   
Romantic Dream 

  
  
  
  
  
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ The world slid around her, contained in crystalline dew drops of time. Bubbles of lost lost with a shimmering pink layer. Falling, softly like a child being rocked in a mothers embrace. The sky melting around her in a myriad of colors. Falling faster, streaks of light flashing across her.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ Her feet landed softly on an expanse of obsidian stretching as far as she could see. THe sky was a muted dull shade of grey, swirling around its self. She took a deep breath shakily, her azure eyes inspecting her dull surroundings. She started to walk, one foot in front of the other. Trudging along, the obsidian glossy as a mirror. A black mirror, into the souls of the dead. She stopped in shock staring down through the obsidian glass.   
Bodies lay there encased beneath the black prison. Some were tortured expressions, others slept peacefully. She shuddered suddenly, the air becoming frighteningly cold. Her breath rose, a cloud of mist dew drops suspended in air. She began to run, leaving the cloud of breath behind. The clip fell from her hair skittering across the black grave. Blond hair flew behind her as she ran, and ran. She stopped suddenly and fell forward onto her knees. Her hand slapped hard down on the obsidian. She began to shake as cracks in the thick glossy stone started reaching out from her hands. The air was suddenly filled with splintering and cracking as she fell into a sea of bodies.   
  
_ Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.   
  
_ Her feet landed on a stone floor this time. Encased in a room of stone with two huge mahogany doors looming before her. She looked down in amazement at her attire. The dress was the most exquisite thing she had ever seen. Long black bell sleeves drooped on her arms. A tight bodice giving her more cleavage then she ever thought she had. And a full skirt reaching all the way down to the floor. Tiny diamonds sewed into the dress sparkled up at her, like stars. Her hair was pined up in an elaborate style, diamonds running though it. Diamonds even encircled her throat and wrist. Quistis had never before felt so regal, and so beautiful.   
She stepped forward, the hem of her dress whispering on the stone floor. She placed a hand on each door and pushed them open, surprisingly easy.   
  
_ Flicker.   
  
_ A long red carpet spanned before her in a room of considerable length. Gold scrolled up each side of the carpet, in a pattern of leaves. As she took her first step a clock somewhere started chiming. People appeared suddenly, walking in from the walls. Sweeping up from the floor, and some dropping from the ceiling. They were all transparent, ghost like in appearance. Tinkling music began, and they started to dance as the clock chimed on.   
Quistis stared to walk forward along the carpet of red. No one noticed her, their dancing swirling more important to them. She stopped suddenly reaching the head of the room. A throne sat there made of deep colored mahogany, with swirling designs in the arms. He sat there, looking more regal then she had ever seen him before. He wore the cloths of a king. Black pants, with a huge formal cloak over it all. His blond hair was long and spilled around his shoulders. His face was the same, proud defiant. His shimmering emerald eyes bore into her.   
  
_ Flicker.   
  
_ "Seifer" she whispered as he stepped down from the throne and walked toward.   
"Instructor. Welcome to my court of shame" he said with a smirk. His voice was exactly the way she remembered it.   
"Seifer, Im here-" he cut her off by placing one gloved finger to her lips.   
"Dance with me" he asked taking her hands into both of his. She nodded dumbfounded, as he led her into a twirling dance step.   
"What is this place" she asked trying not to be distracted by the heat of his body pressed up against her.   
"They call it the midnight dance" He said gesturing to the ghosts with one hand. She looked around slowly, eyeing the dancing sprits.   
"They are the ghosts of the sorceress wars" he said slowly with a shrug of his shoulders.   
"What do you call it?" she asked looking up into her eyes. He looked down at her, one corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk.   
"My romantic dream" he said.   
  
_ Flicker.   
  
_ "Oh?" she asked awaiting an explanation. He smirked and shook his head.   
"Every night someone shows up to dance with me. Rinoa, Fuijin, Edea, Ultimicia, even that annoying little messenger girl" he said. He twirled her around and pulled her close. He was so warm, she felt like she could loose herself there forever. In this romantic dream. She rested her head on his chest listening to the slow beat of his heart. He rested his cheek against her hair, breathing in the scent.   
"But never you before, Instructor. This is the first time you've come and never has anyone been so real, or so beautiful. You look like a star that's fallen from the sky to lead me home" he whispered to her. She took a step back, stopping the dance.   
"I am here to take you home, Seifer" She said searching his green eyes. For a second hope seemed to lurk there. Then he shook his head a smirk spreading across his face.   
  
_ Flicker.   
  
_ "Let me show you why I can never leave" he said taking her hand again a familer menace in his voice.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_.   
  
A/n: My proof reader is STILL out of town, I did my best but if you catch any huge mistakes let me know. Thanks!   
I really tried to convey the surrealism of Time Compression. Am I doing a good job?   
  



	9. A Killer's Guilt

  
  


~*~Chapter Nine~*~   
A Killer's Guilt. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ The sky was black, stained with toiling red clouds. They were standing on a black stone platform, crooked and worn around the edges.   
He stood before her in his familiar cloths. The blue vest, the black leather pants and the long light grey trench coat. All of it including his hands were covered in thick red blood. He scrubbed his hands through his blond locks, leaving a trail of red there.   
"Quistis" he said his green eyes wandering over her lithe form still encased in the black dress.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker   
  
_ "What is it" she asked taken aback by the Hyperion appearing in his red covered hands. The black blade too dripped with blood. The sky around them flickered with purple lightning streaking across the black.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ The sky began to move around them, changing into an image of Seifer standing proud and tall on the float at the parade. She could remember seeing him there, and the hurt and betrayal she had felt.   
"This is why" he said turning to look at the sky. She watched in horror as the scene changed.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ Seifer running through a crowd of people who were screaming. His Hyperion left a trail of blood, gore and bodies behind him. A grin was splayed across his face the whole time. He appeared to be enjoying the slaughter of the innocent people. Enjoying the pain and suffering he had caused all of them. Reveling in the blood after it was done. Presenting a head to his Queen, Ultimicia.   
  
_ Flicker. FlIcKeR. Flicker.   
  
_ He stood before Edea, Ultimicia. He looked proud and haughty. His shoulders were thrown back like she remembered him. Unbroken, bridled with the passion and fury of war. Her voice resounded around them, slipping from her lips.   
"How are you, my killer?" she asked. The picture melded into a swirl of words and distorted images.   
  
_ Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.   
  
_ "You'll be my weapon, my one man killing machine" "You are mine now, Seifer Almasy" "You will follow me, little boy, and you WILL NOT betray me" "I am your only Queen" "Bring her to me alive, or dead is just as good" "Do what you must to kill then, but leave not one standing" "Set you free? Seifer you shall never be truly free from me"   
  
_ FLICKER. Flicker. Flicker.   
  
_ The pounding of his heart filled her ears. Blood smell filling her nose, she could taste it in her mouth. She could feel his pain. His hurt. She could feel his greed and his hate. But most of all she could feel his..Guilt.   
  
_ Flicker. Flicker.   
  
_ The ground splintered and fell from under their feet. Quistis was falling again into deep blackness around her. His heartbeat still thundered in her ears as the ground suddenly rushed up to meet her. With a loud clap of thunder all was silent. Sparks of light floated around them streaking the dark sky. He stood before her, dejected and broken. On the ground between them lay a small blond girl. Her hair was spread around her matted with blood. A gaping hole was in her chest spilling blood all over her pink dress.   
"I did this" he said his body jerking as if awaking from a dream. Quistis looked down at the small girl frowning.   
"It was the thing that finally brought my mind out of her control. Made me see what a monster I had become. This happened right after the Lunatic Pandora. I tried to stop it all but I was too late and swept into Time Compression. And here I've been ever since, and it is here she still calls to me"   
  
_ fLiCkEr. Flicker. Flicker.   
  
_ They were standing in a long stonily grey hallway. He was a few feet in front of her with his long blond hair trailing down his back. The corridor had stained glass windows leading up each side. Colored motes of light shadowed the room. Ultimicia stood at the head of the room, her black wings folded around her.   
"Seifer" her voice echoed around the hallway "Don't go to her" she put her hand on his shoulder.   
"I must" he said looking over his shoulder at her.   
"You don't have to, come home with me" she said.   
"Home? to the garden?" he asked frowning slightly.   
"Anywhere you want, please Seifer, I can take you out of here" she kept her hand on his shoulder even though she could feel his muscles tense.   
"I can't leave, unless..." he trailed off turning around to look at her.   
"Unless what Seifer, what do I have to do" she asked.   
"Unless..." he said again as the colored windows melted behind him.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_


	10. Carousel of Memories

  
  


~*~Chapter Ten~*~   
Carousel of Memories 

  
  
  
  
  
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ She was flying, along an expanse of snowy white clouds in a pink sky. Her arms stretched out her fingers reaching for the rainbow baubles floating along with her. She could her the chiming of bells in the distance. The Chiming tintinnabulation growing as she flew closer, their golden song driving her forward. She wished she could stay here for ever, in the world of pastels were everything was always warm.   
  
Heavy footsteps echoed through the bells song. Each step pounding away little wafts of clouds to fly forever in the pink sky. A dark shadow fell over her, her eyes tracing the length of a light grey trench coat. He lowered his hand to her then, encased in sleek black leather. She climbed onto it, taking a seat amongst the black.   
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker.   
  
_ She was standing again, on a cobble stone walkway. It all held a sense of nostalgia. The smell of spun sugar, and ice cream. Candied Popcorn and cherry ice pops. A black iron gate, sporting swirling designs at the corners encircled a colorful carousel. Wooden horses with golden rods sprouting from their back danced around in a circle to the chiming bell music. The roof of the carousel sprouted a rainbow of colors, with sprouting of brightly painted flowers.   
  
_ Flicker.   
  
_ He sat sidewise upon one of those horses, his trench dripping down to the ground. His green eyes looked only at her, across the iron gate.   
"Do you remember this place?" Seifer asked his booming voice drifting over the tinkling song of the carousel.   
"It seems very familiar" she said taking a step toward the carousel.   
"Matron took us to this park" He said with a smirk splitting across his face. It all came rushing back to her, slamming into her head like a train. Walking in through the huge gates holding Matron's hand as the other kids roamed around them.   
"I remember" she said with a smile back at him. He hopped off the horse and headed toward her the smirk still splattered across his face. For a moment he almost seemed like the old Seifer. He stood next to her and looked back at the carousel.   
"That was one of the best days of my life" he said with a small shake of his head.   
"I remember Matron bought Zell and ice cream cone, and he dropped it. He spent most of the day crying, until Matron finally bought him another" Quistis laughed and continued "then you _accidentally_ bumped into him and he dropped the second one"   
Seifer laughed out loud.   
"Yeah and then she made me sit on the bench while everyone else got to ride the carousel. Until you were sitting alone and motioned to me. I ran up there and hopped onto the horse next to you. The ride was like a dream. Perhaps this was the only memory that kept me sane, while trapped here" he deadpanned looking down at the ground. She nodded slowly looking at him.   
"How can I help you escape" Quistis asked. He took a few steps away from her, then spun to look at her.   
  
_ Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.   
  
_ "It was her last gift to me, a punishment for me failure. She implanted a piece her her essence in my mind. Then as time compression hit, something strange happened. I felt myself being ripped apart, then I was looking at an image of myself. It was like looking through a mirror. That Seifer was sent out, and I was forever trapped here. The only way I can leave, is for me to be whole again" He explained his eyes never leaving hers.   
"I know where, he- you are. I can bring him here" she said hurriedly. He nodded stoutly taking another step back.   
  
_ FLICKER.   
  
_ The carousel seemed to melt, leaving them again in an expanse of black.   
"The souls trapped here, are those that I killed in the War. The dance is my homage to their death. The song a Requiem, a lament for them" he said shaking his head, his eyes growing dark.   
  
_ FLICKER. FLICKER. FLICKER. FLICKER.   
  
_ "What's happening?" she asked as the ground started to crack beneath their feet.   
"It is time you left me, Instructor. I'll be waiting your return" he said raising his head to look at her.   
  
_ FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.   
  
_ "Good-Bye Quistis" he said as she stared to fall through blackness once again.   
  
_ FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.FLICKER. FLICKER.   
  
_   
  
  
  
A/N: I just wanted to say THANK YOU all, for reading this fic. And THANK YOU for the reviews. I really think it's going to turn out good. I Know the plotline seems a little out there but its hard to come up with an original Quifer plot line, it seems like everything has been done. I hope I can keep this original and memoriable. Please keep up the great reviews.   
  
Also I don't know if my proof reader will ever come back. Im currently looking for a new one. I've been trying my best. 


	11. Not Guilty

  
  


~*~Chapter Eleven~*~   
Not Guilty 

  
  
  
  
  
  
Quistis regreted it the moment she opened her eyes. Hot white lights hung over her, lancing her skull like a hot poker. She gritted her teeth and pulled the pillow from under her and slammed it over her head. She could hear ever noise, like someone pounding a hammer on her head. Even her breathing was loud. But strangly, it all felt real. She knew for sure that she was out of Time Compression.   
  
"Quisits Trepe" A voice boomed at her. She groaned into the pillow not wanting to move. Strong hands snatched the pillow away leaving the white of the lights gleaming through her eyelids.   
"What is going on" She asked slowly in a soft voice. She felt hands on her arm, cleaning the crook of her elbow. She jumped as a needle was pushed into her vein. She bit her lip and finally opened her eyes to see an unfamiler woman in a white coat standing over her.   
"That should make you feel better" The nurse said tossing the needle into a trash can labled: Bio hazard. Then the dark haired woman turned to look at Quistis with a frown.   
"I sposse I should tell you where you are" the nurse said in a tight voice. Quistis only nodded, unsure of what to say.   
"You are in the infirmary of the D-District prison" the nurse said pulling off her rubber gloves.   
"What am I doing in the prison?" Quistis asked sitting up too fast as her head exploded in pain.   
"Don't act as if you dont know. I'll go tell the guards that you are awake" the nurse said leaving the room with a cruel smile. Quistis tried to stand up, stumbling on her feet. She put both hands on the medical cot and tried to steady herself. She didn't understand what the hell was going on. Suddnely the door burst open and she had a gun at her head.   
"Hands behind your back" the guard said ruffly.   
"Whats going on" Quistis said turning to look at him.   
"Do it lady" he commanded shaking his head.   
"I will not!" Quistis said rage finally taking her over "My name is Quistis Trepe I am a Class A SeeD of Balamb Garden. I was one of the Heroes in the Sorceress war!" she exclamed stamping her foot to exclimate her point.   
"I don't care if your the Scorceress yourself" he said grabbing her roughly. Quistis tried to pull away put he was too fast snapping the shiney silver handcuffs on her wrist.   
"Dammit" Quistis growled stumbling over her feet as the guard pushed her out of the room. He shoved her along the familer looking metal hallways. The elevator ride was long, untill finally they stepped out onto oneo f the upper floors. Quistis looked around in horror, the familierarty of it all. This was were Squall had been tourchered by Seifer all thoose years ago. Now it was set up like a court room. A large desk was before the torcher device, a stern looking man sitting behind it. Pictures lay scattered all over the desk. Quists recoiled when the Guard stood her in front of the desk. The pictures were all of her. Her getting into the Time Compression Machine. Turning it on, standing in it. Then finally falling out of it in a shower of glass and blood.   
  
"Quistis Trepe you are being charged with breaking and entering, destruction of property, and tampering with goverment equipment. How do you plead" The stern man said through his thick black beard. Quistis stared at him for a moment and then shook her head.   
"Not guilty" she said "If you would just let me speak with the President I'm sure--" she was cut off but the stern man cutting into her speach.   
"All the evidence points towards it. You are Guilty, twenty years sentence with no possiabilty of paroll" he said motioning for the guard to drag her away.   
"No!" Quistis exclaimed as the guard dragged her away. She fought kicking and screaming agaisnt the man. At last he opened a cell door and through her inside the metal cell. He growled at her slamming the door shut with a sense of finallity. Quistis kicked at the door, and then beat it with her fists scraping her skin agaisnt the harsh metal. With a fustrated scream she gave up and flopped down to the floor.   
  
What am I going to do? Twenty Years. Why would Laguna allow theese men to lock me up? What about Seifer? He'll die if I wait too much long to save him, I will not fail him again. What am I going to do? Quistis looked up at the door again. She didn' know any of the answers to her questions. But she did know one thing she had to get out of here.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Have I ever mentioned how much I love you guys! *hugs everyone who has ever given her a review* You all make me feel so good about what I'm writing, I just love knowing that someone is reading it!   
  
This chapter feels too short to me. Maybe I'll write another one right away, cause I'm inspired :).   
  



	12. Metal Hell

  
  


~*~Chapter Twelve~*~   
Metal Hell 

  
  
  
  
  
  
The metal hell was starting to get to her. They slid her foot in through a tiny slot in the bottom of the door. It was always the same, a bowl of something and maybe some toast. She never bothered to ask with the something was, she didn't really want to know. She had started to scratch the number of days into the wall with the a part of the zipper she had broken off her shirt. It now numbered fourteen. She had been gone from the garden a week longer then she should have been, and yet no one had come looking for her.   
  
She passed the time by exercising, trying not to think too much. It helped, she had never been more in shape in her entire life. She was actually starting to notice the defined muscles in her stomach and in her arms. Sleeping on the floor was even starting to agree with her, letting her stretch out.   
  
On the fifteenth day the door finally opened for her. She stoop up from her sit-up and looked at the huge guard that was walking in. He wore a Esthar uniform and had a grin the seemed to split his face in half. He shut the door behind him, tucking the keys into his pants pocket.   
  
"Well, pretty one, the time has come to have some fun with you" he said moving closer to her. Quistis smiled an inviting smiled and eyed him up and down. He reached her and pulled out a pair of silver cuffs from his pocket.   
  
"Do we have to use those? It's been along time since I had a good man" Quistis said a sultry grin spreading across her face. The guard dropped the cuffs to the ground and reached for her. He pulled her into a tight embraced, grinding his teeth into her lips. She endured it for a moment before she promptly brought her knee right up into his genitals. His eyes flew open and he dropped to his knees clutching his groin. She then placed a firm kick right to his face with the heel of her boot. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell backward. She grabbed the cuffs from the floor and quickly slammed them around his big hairy wrists.   
  
She then searched him, taking the ring of keys in his left pocket, the fifty gil and the pack of cigarettes in his right pocket. She grabbed her pink over shirt and then left the cell locking it firmly behind her. If she was lucky they wouldn't discover they were gone until tonight's dinner. She looked around the floor she was on seeing both the stairways and the lift in the center. Lucky her the lift had been left on her floor. She grinned stepping onto it. She punched the number for ground floor as it zoomed down. It seemed to being going all too well until she landed on the bottom floor where the prisoners items were kept. Guards were everywhere, there was no place to hide. She needed to get the her Save The Queen and fast.   
  
Looking both ways she leapt from the lift as a shower of bullets was let loose, riddling the metal behind her with hole. Keeping low she slunk around the ring of the wall, bullets flying around her. The room was so close, the door knob just with in her reach when pain shot through her body and blood splattered across the floor. The blood was from her arm, where a bullet was now imbedded.   
  
She bit her lip hard to not scream out. Yanking the ring of keys from her pocket she began to try them frantically on the door. One after the other, not fitting until finally she slid on it and the door clicked open. She slipped inside shutting the door to the blizzard of bullets outside.   
  
A single guard sat there, unarmed reading a Timber Maniacs. His back was turned, his feet propped up in the table. Headphones were on his ears playing some cheesy tune so loud he was oblivious to the firefight behind him. She shook her head and yanked the headphone off his head quickly wrapping the thin cord around his neck.   
  
"Please, don't kill me. I gotta kid at home" the guard stammered. She drug him do his feet pushing him toward the barred door which held shelves and shelves of items behind it.   
  
"You open this door, and help me find whatever I need and I won't even hurt you" Quistis hissed through her teeth. The man yanked a ring of keys from his belt and fumbled a moment, his hands shaking. He at least slid a key into the lock and shoved it open.   
  
"Thanks" she said throwing him back into his chair. He watched her with wide eyes as she stared to walk along the shelves of items. In the back corner she found her black Save the Queen, next to her brown leather purse. She grabbed the purse looking inside. She was relieved to find that all the gil Cid had given her was still there. Along with the plans for the Time Compression Machine and Seifer's file.   
  
She winced bumping her arm against the shelf reminding her she was loosing blood. She took off her pink over shirt leaving her in her tight maroon half top. She ripped the pink over shirt tightening a piece tightly around her arm. Knotting it with the help of her teeth. She looked around and grabbed a black backpack from the shelf nearby shoving her entire purse into it. She places the coiled Save The Queen at her side and then looked around.   
  
Grabbing a silver pistol from a nearby shelve she shoved it into her boot. Her eyes lit up spotting the most enormous gun she had ever seen, that wasn't mounted. Her eyes traveled up its black length, before picking the massive thing up. A long chain of bullets ran from the top down to the floor. A thick black shoulder strap was inviting her to put it on. Before she did though she slid on a kevlar vest that was stowed on the bottom shelf. Placing the huge gun on her shoulder, she stopped a moment as a loud mechanical wailing started to sound through out the prison.   
  
"They know your missing, you'll never escape" the man said his hands still shaking. Quistis grinned at him cocking the gun quickly.   
  
"For your trouble" she said throwing the fifty gil she had taken from the man earlier at him. Then she turned and faced the door a look of grim determination on her face.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Quisty's gonna go Rambo Style, stay tuned!   
  
  



	13. When It Rains It Pours

  
  


~*~Chapter Thirteen~*~   
When It Rains It Pours 

  
  
  
  
The gun was heavy on her shoulder as she kicked open the door and walked out into a line of men all holding guns. The alarm still wailed over them all masking the sound of the fire fight. She fired the huge gun on her shoulder, shot after ringing through the metal prison. Men fell as each bullet hit. She ran feeling a bullet hitting her bullet proof vest. She grimaced banging her bad arm into a wall as she rounded a corner.   
She remembered suddenly, the was out was up. Quistis looked at the lift and the crowd of soldiers in front of it. She began to fire the gun again leaving streaks of grey smoke hanging in the air. Charging through them, using the gun to bash some of them away she finally reached the lift.   
"Up, Dammit" she whispered pushing buttons. The lift rose bullets hitting the side of it, when suddenly it lurched to a stop. Quistis rolled her eyes and groaned.   
"When it rains, it pours" she said pushing the open button expecting to face a ream of officers. Instead she realized she was stuck between floors, the one above her feet away. The one below was so far away the expanse of air between the lift and there just looked huge to her. Quistis glanced up staring hard at the metal guard rail that ran around the inside of each floor. The arm with the bullet in it hurt far too much to be able to clutch onto the and pull herself up. That meant she was going to have to go down. Thankfully the area was full of guards as she made sure the gun was secured firmly.   
  
Unbeknownst to Quistis a man watched her over the security system. He ran his fingers along his short black goatee. Another man, dressed in a coffee brown suit stood next to him, watching also.   
"Shouldn't we stop her?" the man in brown asked.   
"No. Let her go, she shall bring us what we need" The goatee man said reaching out and running a finger along her image on the security screen.   
"And what is that?" the brown man asked.   
"Seifer Almasy" was all the other man replied.   
  
She jumped, the air surging around her. The metal floor seemed to be approaching too quickly. She landed with a thud her arm erupting in pain, blood dripping from under the bandage. Quistis pushed herself up cocking the gun, searching the area for guards. Have to keep moving, have to get out.   
She rushed for the stairs up, the prison around her. She remembered the familiar noise. The desert was going into the sand. She breathed a sigh of relief. At least she would be able to walk out and not have to climb. Finally she reached the top floor the security equipment blinking at her. Where is everyone? Probably outside waiting for me. She ducked suddenly a bullet whizzing by her ear.   
The door to the outside looked like an angel in disguise to her. Quistis shoved it open revealing the clear blue sky, something she hadn't seen in fifteen long days. She rushed down the long metal ramp to the parking area. She glanced back up at the prison seeing guards coming out of the door way. Quistis grinned and turned to the nearest car popping it's hood. She quickly licked her fingers and started playing with the wires underneath.   
"Thank you again Seifer" she said out loud remembering the day when she had caught him hotwiring a car when he was still a cadet. Quistis had watched long enough till the car was started, then busted him. Being a top notch SeeD had taught her one thing, never have to see it done twice. The car engine roared to life, sparks tickling the end of her fingers.   
Quistis hopped into the car throwing the huge gun into the back seat. Pain suddenly shot through her arm, the bullet reminding her painfully it was still there. She had to get to a town and fast. Studying her mental map she remembered Winhill was close and turned the car that way. Speeding away from the prison she gaze at the blue sky, not believing she finally got away.   
  
  
  
  
A/N: Ty for reading :) Stay tuned, sorry for the short chapter.   
  
  



	14. Hair Dye

  
  


~*~Chapter Fourteen~*~   
Hair Dye 

  
  
  
  
When she finally reached the river she pulled the car off the side of the road and ditched it in some bushes. Quistis said a mental good-bye to the large gun and then dropped it quickly in the river. Shouldering the backpack she walked along the river bank towards Winhill.   
  
Everything seemed so bright and colorful to her after being stuck in that grey hell for so long. The air was fresh and the ground was soft beneath her feet. Winhill appeared in the distance the quaint little town calling out to her. She couldn't help but admire the rustic place as she walked along the cobble stone street into the center of town. A smile came to her face, at last. After all she had been through today the fatigue and pain suddenly hit her. She fell forward glimpsing someone's black shoe before she passed out.   
  
Quistis awoke to the familiar feel of cold healing magic being used on her. Cold needles ran up and down her arm. Her eyes fluttered open seeing a familiar looking woman at her side.   
"Mrs.. Bluestar" Quistis said with a smile. The former scientist smiled down at her kindly.   
"You someone I never thought I'd see again" Annie said expending another cure into Quistis.   
"Well, let's just say thing got a little sidetracked" Quistis said propping herself up on one elbow.   
"There are something a cure spell can't get rid of, but you should be all right. A little tired though" Annie said standing up with a smile.   
"Could I trouble you for one thing more?" Quistis asked softly.   
"What might that be?"   
"Food" Quistis said with a grin.   
  
The plate of steaming steak, mash potatoes and steamed vegetables looked like heaven to her. Everything tasted so real.   
"Thank you again" Quistis said between bites.   
"I'm glad to help" Annie said with a smile.   
"How's life here for you in Winhill" Quistis asked. Annie went into description of buying a house and finding a job at the bar. How her children were loving school and all was peaceful. They are so happy, I only wish I could have a normal life. Quistis sighed out loud finishing the last bite.   
"I better get going" Quistis said pushing herself out of bed on her good arm. She looked down noticing she was still dressed in her maroon half top, and pink skirt.   
"I have some cloths that might look less conspicuous" Annie said like she was reading Quistis' mind.   
"Let me help you some more, for helping me" Quistis said reaching into her black backpack and pulling out a hand full of Gil. She left it on the bed and followed Annie into a room decorated in dark purples and black. It was obviously a teenagers room.   
"This is my oldest daughters room, you look about her size" Annie said throwing open the closet. Quistis' eyes opened wide at the hangers full of black cloths.   
"Take anything, most of the stuff she really likes is on the floor" Annie said with a smile. Quistis finally choose a long black skirt and a black blouse with purple flowers that had see through sleeves. Annie left the room while Quistis changed quickly, throwing her old cloths into the backpack she shouldered it before walking down the stairs to the main part of the house. Annie stood by the door talking to a little girl in a pink pants outfit. Quistis stopped for a moment flashing back to Time Compression. I have to get to Seifer.   
"Well, Annie thank you for your hospitality. But I must get going" Quistis said making a b-line for the door.   
"Anytime, come by and visit us again" Annie said shaking Quistis' hand before she left.   
  
The small town of Winhill sat before her. White cobble stone lay beneath her feet. I have to get to Timber from there I can take the train to FH. Quistis was glad Cid had left her with so much money. It surprisingly came in handy. She walked out of Winhil, leaving it's quaintness behind her. She followed the road along the train tracks, till she came to a platform. She stood alone on the train track, the flowing blouse rustling in the breeze.   
"I really could use a shower" she said out loud smoothing the long skirt. The wind picked up as the train arrived, its cool metal doors opening for her. Quistis boarded and paid for her ticket right away. She ad never sat in the main seating on a train before. The SeeD cabin was empty and she could have easily snuck in there. But instead she opted for the security of the main cabin where a TV was blaring over head. It was a newscast straight from Esthar. The voice slammed into her like a ton of bricks.   
"A prisoner escaped the D-district prison today. A former SeeD known as Quistis Trepe. Blond hair, Blue eyes. If anyone has and information on her where about please call this number" A red telephone number flashed across the screen. Luckily just the the train stopped at Timber, Quistis exiting quickly.   
  
The quiet town appealed to her as she slid into a drugstore. She found the hair dye isle and began to look at the boxes. Dying her hair never appealed to her, even thought it had been a fad in the garden. But know, everyone would be looking fo blond hair and blue eyes. Quistis felt maybe it would be easier for her to get around if she dyed it. She grabbed a box of the shelf and purchased it. She left waiting for the train to FH to come.   
  
The train ride to FH was easy, and short. Upon arriving in FH she easily got prepaid for a hotel room for the week. Now she stood in front fo the mirror in the small bathroom off of the neat hotel room.   
"Good-bye Blonde" she said out loud as she started to work the hair dye into her scalp.   
  
  
  
  
A/N: I would like to say a special thank you to grrl_gamer, who has left me a review for every chapter I've written on this. Your the reason I keep writing.   
  
I honestly didn't like this chapter, Too short, or didnt have any real purpose. Something, I dont know.   
Anyways, Say tuned next chapter, enter Seifer. (*DROOL*) 


	15. A Different Kind Of Dance

  
  


~*~Chapter Fifteen~*~   
A Different Kind of Dance. 

  
  
  
  
A red haze lay in front of her eyes, when she woke up the next morning. Quistis stood up in a hurry realizing it was only her newly died hair. She threw on her robe and walked across the plush carpet to stand in front of the full length mirror. Red tendrils cascaded around her shoulders, and down her back. She chewed on her lip for a moment considering it before she decided to leave it down. Grabbing the Seifer file from her backpack she sat down in the middle of the bed. She spread the papers around her, amaze at how much information was contained within. Someone has to be on the inside. As far as Quistis was aware, the posse were here as well in FH. No it couldn't be Raijin, he's not that sly.   
"Fuijin" Quistis said out loud hopping off the bed. According to the file, Fuijin worked at a fish packing plant near the dock. Quistis grinned deciding she needed to show off her new hair cut.   
  
Her black cloths made her stick out like a sore thumb as she walked along the docks. The huge fish packing plant loomed before her, a dark blotch against the cool blue sky.   
"What're you doin' wanderin' 'round 'ere" a voice said from behind her. Quistis spun around face to face with a bushy faced fisherman. She put on her best female smile.   
"I'm looking for a silver haired woman named, Fuijin" Quistis said.   
"Ah, the loud one. She be inside" The fisherman said pointing at a side door in the large building. The former SeeD walked in through the door and was greeted with a familiar voice shouting.   
"WRONG" a sound of someone in pain was followed by feet running away. Quistis walked further into the room to see Fuijin standing over a crate full of fish, ice scattered across the floor.   
"IDIOT!" Fuijin shouted throwing her hands up in the air.   
"Fuijin?" Quistis asked taking a few steps closer. The silver haired girl spun around her single frosty blue eye seemed to stare through Quistis.   
"INSTRUCTOR!" Fuijin exclaimed with a smile.   
"Yup it's me" Quistis said shaking her head.   
"HAIR. RED!"   
"I know you can talk normal, now stop that Fui" Quistis said grinning.   
"Sorry" Fuijin said in her normal soft voice, "Habit"   
"That's all right"   
"What are you doing here" Fuijin asked bending down to start picking up the ice. Quistis knelt beside her, to help.   
"I'm here to talk to Seifer" Quistis said figuring that there was no way she could lie to Fuijin.   
"Seifer?" Fuijin asked raising one silver eyebrow.   
"Yes. I'm here to help him" Quistis said throwing ice into the box.   
"Every night he goes to a club called The Silver Cross in Deling city" Fuijin said with a smile. Fuijin was never the type to ask questions.   
"Perfect" Quistis said with a feral smile.   
"Those cloths will have to go" Fuijin said standing up while dusting her hands.   
"Oh? I have some credit cards. Where would be the best place to shop?" Quistis asked standing up as well.   
"Deling city, of course" Fuijin said leading her out of the building.   
"Fui, you know its no fun to go shopping alone" Quistis deadpanned looking at the floor.   
"Neither of us were ever the shopping type. I'll go with you" Fuijin said tilting her head sending her silver hair cascading over the eye patch.   
  
The two women walked into the huge shopping mall in Deling City, silently. The train ride there had been full of old memories, them exchanging stories. Quistis wished that she had gotten to know the silver haired woman earlier.   
"This way" Fuijin said pulling her into a boutique. Countless outfits and stores later they finally found one that had an excellent selection. Finally Fuijin grabbed something off the rack and shoved Quistis into the dressing room with it.   
"No way could I wear this in public" Quistis said peaking out over the dressing room curtain.   
"You can, and you will. Shoes next" Fuijin said with a smile.   
"This is horriable you know that!" Quistis exclaimed.   
  
Quistis still couldn't believe she let Fuijin convince her to wear this in public. The now red haired woman stood across the street from The Silver Cross eyeing the line that stretched out front. She took a deep breath and strutted across the street using every once of femininity to sway in her new high heels. The bouncer at the door met her eyes and she flashed him a sultry smile as she stepped up on the side walk.   
"You want in?" He asked his eyes tracing her every curve. Quistis felt the anger boiling inside her but quickly pushed it down and ran her tongue along her lips.   
"Yeah I do" She said. He only nodded and opened the red rope for her. She flashed a haughty smile to the crowd waiting to get in and then headed up the long red carpet that sat in front of the club.   
The sent of alcohol and the smoke machine washed over her, as soon as she walked into the door. The club was full of people and pounding music. A person could easily loose themselves here, Quistis understood why Seifer liked it so much. The light flashed across the lowered dance floor filled with people, some dancing with someone and some alone. Quistis smiled as she felt herself get caught up in the music. One dance couldn't hurt, she thought as she headed out onto the floor.   
  
The amber swirling liquid slid down his throat easily, it's familiar taste tingling his mouth. He slammed the shot glass down on the beaten wood bar. He sighed out loud blowing a strand of blond hair out of his eyes. He turned on the bar stool his eyes scanning the crowd of people dancing on the lowered floor. Leaning back resting his elbows on the bar in a familiar fashion, he scanned the room for females.   
A woman on the dance floor immediately caught his eyes. Red hair spilled around her shoulders and down her bare back, where red strings crossed holding up a red leather backless top. The top came down into a point over the short black skirt that also came down to a point right above her knees. High heeled, knee high, shiny, paten leather boots climbed up her well formed legs. Over all of it she wore an ankle length see through black duster. They way she moved to the music was like watching water. She was so smooth and graceful, caught up only in herself. Her eyes closed, red bangs sticking to her forehead from the sweat of her dancing.   
Seifer Almasy felt an animal instinct come over him then. He had to have this woman, it had been so long since he had been with someone. He ran his hands through his blond spikes, green eyes following her every move. He clenched his fist feeling his desire for her rising as she stepped off the dance floor. She couldn't help but sway her hips in those tall boots the duster brushing against her. She slid into a booth, and he was amazed to see her here alone. Seifer stood up rounding his shoulders before walking over to the booth.   
"Mind if I sit" He asked with a smirk sliding into the black booth.   
"Of course not Seifer" she said looking up at him with ice blue eyes and a familiar smile. The smirk slid of his face. A feeling of horror washed over at him, when he realized the woman he had been lusting after was none other then...   
"Instructor!" He exclaimed out loud.   
  
  


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A/N: Oooohhh Aaahhh Finally Seifer! *Drool Drool Drool* :)   
Well I have a tad bit of bad news, I'm leaving for a week. I'm going to Texas with my bf to visit him mom. So that means this wil be the last update till then! :( Sorry to leave you with such a cliff hanger, but I thought I should keep you waiting ;).   
Thank you grrl_gammer and Jacks for your awesome reviews last chapter! Was the Seiferness good enough for you both?   
  



	16. Shots and Integrity

  
  


~*~Chapter Sixteen~*~   
Shots and Integrity 

  
  
  
  
Quistis couldn't help but let a smirk crawl across her face. Every line in his well muscled body was tense under his grey trench coat. He looked jsut as he did in Time Compression, except here he had his normal short hair. She looked into his green eyes admiring the gold flecks that danced across them.   
"Well, hello to you too Seifer" Quistis said propping her elbows up on the table.   
"Since when did you turn into such a party animal?" he asked with his usual smirk. Quistis flipped her red locks over her shoulder and leaned in.   
"People change" was all she replied.   
"That they do" he said shaking his head slightly admiring her curves again.   
"You never looked at me like that before" she said frowning.   
"You never looked so hot" he said bluntly. He shook his head suddenly like he was clearing his thoughts.   
"Waiter!" he called with a wave. A young man in a waiter's uniform trotted over.   
"Evenin' Mr. Almasy, what can I get you" the boy asked glancing at Quistis.   
"I'll have the usual, but im sure my friend here would like something a bit lighter" Seifer responed waving a black gloved hand at Quistis. She frowned her eyebrows drawing close together.   
"I can handle whatever he's having" she said. I am not about to let Seifer show me up.   
"You sure about that?" Seifer asked.   
"Absolutly" Quistis said. The waiter trotted off and much to her suprise came back a few minutes later. He set two shot glasses down on the table, a plate of limes and a container of salt. All of this was shortly followed by a large bottle that hate the word Tequilla screaming across the front of it.   
"Ever done Tequilla shots before?" Seifer asked pulling the cork out of the bottle. He poured the liqued intoeach shot glass smirking at her. Quistis looked at the set up, confused as all hell.   
"I must confess I haven't" Quistis said. Seifer whisteled low and chuckled.   
"Well, babe, I hope you can hold your liquer" Seifer said rolling up the sleave of his coat a bit. He slid his gloves off and tucked them into his pocket.   
"I'll do just fine, I'm sure" Quistis said her voice tight. He chuckled again, she was sure he did it just to unerve her.   
"Watch an learn, Instructor" he said sneering. She watched wide eyed as he lifted his wrist to his mouth and licked the skin. He shook some salt on it and then licked it again. Seifer slammed back the shot glass, then put one of the limes to his mouth and sucked. Quistis blinked slowly asshe pushed back the sleave of her see through duster. Just do it Quistis, how bad can it be.   
She brought her wrist to her lips wetting it, before sprinkling the salt across it. She licked again, slamming the tequila, trying tno to choke as she sucked on the lime. Her eyes started to water as she set the lime rine on the table next to his.   
"Not bad, for your first time" he said with a smirk, filling the shot glass again. Quistis numbly shook her head. That wasn't so bad.   
"Together this time" he said clink his glass agaisnt hers. They began the process again.   
  
  
  
Three fourths of the bottle later, Quistis was throughly drunk. Seifer still seemed to be keeping his cool. She watched him from across the table to room very hot. She slipped off the duster revealing her bare shoulders.   
"Siefer" she said finding it very difficult not to slur her words.   
"Instructor" Seifer said his eyes connecting with hers.   
"I don't think I've had this mush fun in a long time" Quistis said scooting in closer to him.   
"Another?" he said grabbing the bottle of Tequilla.   
"Yesh please" she said reaching for the salt shaker.   
"We are going to do it a bit different this time" he said leaning in close to her. He took the salt shaker and from her hand. He leaned over and placed his lips in the cook of her neck running his tounge along her soft skin. Quistis moaned softly as he licked the harsh salt from her skin. She turned hungrily to him and place her mouth at the base of his neck, doign the same. She smelled so good it drove him wild. I can't belive how attracted I am to my old teacher. She pulled away slamming the shot back, he did as well his eyes never leaving her. He grabbed the lime and held half of it in his teeth moving closer to her. She caught on quickly and pulled the other half of the lime into her mouth. Their lips were centimeters apart. He pulled away unable too look at her lips so close anymore. The booze was getting to him, he wanted to grab her and through her on the table right then. He shook his head feircely. This is Quistis! What are you thinking, you used to throw sand in this girls hair when she was young.   
"Seifer" she said again looking his him, her eyes hazy.   
"Fuck it" he said out loud. He grabbed her and sealed the space between her lips. He kissed her hungrly pressing her scantly cloths body agaisnt his. So soft, Smells so good, her tounge teased his drawing him in deeper. Her hands burried in his hands, she kissed back with a passion he never expected to see in Quistis Trepe. She pulled back flushed, her hair mussed.   
"Come on" he said taking her hand. He threw some Gil down on the table while she grabbed her purse and duster. He lead her out of the bar and pratically ran down the street to the hotel. The lady at the desk seemed to take forever to get them a room. Finally Seifer led her into the hotel room, making sure to lock the door behind him. He turned to look at her, his eyes taking in her curves once again. She kissed him this time grabbing the lapels of his trench to pull him closer. He tan his hands along her bare back pressing her agaisnt his chest.   
"I want you" he whispered to her as he pulled her closer to the bed. He pushed her down laying on top of her. She lifted up on booted leg and wrapped it around him, their lips meeting again in another hungry kiss. His hand travled up the front of her shirt, awarding him with a gasp. She kissed along his neck, moaning into his skin. She brought her lips to his ear.   
"Seifer, this is my frist time. Please be gental" she whispered to him. He stopped suddenly then, every musscle in his body rigid. He stood up and turned from her.   
"We can't do this" he said.   
"What? why not?" Quistis asked. He shook his head banging his fist agaisnt the desk. He couldn't belive what he was doing.   
"Quistis this is all wrong, you deserve better. Not drunk, in some hotel room" he said.   
"I don't understand" she said.   
"You will in the morning" Seifer said softly. He casted sleep then, weaving its web over her. Her eyes fluttered shut and soon she was breathing peacefully. Seifer sighed and sat down on the bed and started to untie the tall boots. He slid them off her feet one at a time leaving them a the end of the bed. He tucked a loose strand of red hair behind one of her ears and covered her up slowly with the blanket off the other bed. He leaned down and kissed her forhead, glad he was leaving her with her integrity in tact.   
"Seifer" her eyes fluttered open, "you better go, you'll miss the midnight dance" she said with a yawn before falling back into sleep. He froze inches away from her face. He stood slowly looking down at her. How could she know about that. There was a lot more to Quistis Trepe then he realized. He frowned leaving the room, vowing to talk to her again soon.   
  
  
  


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A/N: Well hello everyone out there! Got pretty steamy this chapter! Sorry if Quis was too OOC, but Tequilla does strange things to people.   
For all of you reading this I was wondering if you could give me some advice. I am really dissapointed with the review ratio on all of my stories I see crap, with 4320985732475 reviews and I have like 40. I don't think my writing is crap, do you? Is Quifer just too over done? Does my summary suck? Am I doing something wrong? Can someone please give me some adive on how to do it better?   
  
Email me at Alonia_Everclear@yahoo.com or leave it in a review.   
  
THANKS EVERYONE FOR READING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)   
  



	17. Council of Nine

  
  


~*~Chapter Seventeen~*~   
Council Of Nine 

  
  
  
  
Quite frankly she was tired of waking up not knowing where she was. It had seemed to become a habit with her. She glared around the hotel room in frustration not recognizing anything. Except for her purse and the see through duster that was sitting on the table. She groaned pushing herself off the bed. Quistis sighed running her hand through her hair. The events of last night all came crashing down around her, as the door to the room opened and he strode in.   
  
Seifer Almasy. Their heated kisses lingered in her mind as she looked him over. He looked exactly as he had in Time Compression except for the long hair.   
  
"Good Morning, Instructor" he said holding up a white bag and a carton of orange juice. She smiled through her skull splitting headache.   
  
"Seifer" she said following him to the small table by the window.   
  
"Hang over?" he asked with a smirk. She groaned and sank down in one of the chairs.   
  
"Yes" she said putting her hand to her head. His smirk grew wider, and he stepped closer to her.   
  
"Let me help you" Seifer said placing a hand on each of her temples. She only nodded as he began to massage a little. Suddenly she felt very warm. He was so close to her, his green eyes looking into her blue. He pulled away and suddenly her headache was gone. He sat down in the chair across from her grinning.   
  
"So, Tell me. What brings you to Deling?" he asked.   
  
"How did you do that?" she asked touching her head again. He smirked.   
  
"What something little Ms. Perfect doesn't know?" he asked an arrogant tone to his voice.   
  
"Perfect in every way?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He laughed out loud, giving her a genuine smile.   
  
"I cast a fire spell into your brain, it doesn't hurt too bad and burns the alcohol off fast" he said.   
  
"I see, that's why I got so warm" she said.   
  
"Actually that was because I'm so good looking" he said smirking.   
  
"Seifer we have to talk" she said suddenly turning serious.   
  
"Lets cut the talk and get right into bed"   
  
"Only in your dreams, Almasy" she said. He looked up at her slowly meeting her eyes.   
  
"You're in my dreams every night, ever since the first time I saw you there" he said quietly his voice steady.   
  
"You dream of me?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He nodded slowly never losing contact with her eyes. She bit her bottom lip searching his emerald eyes for some sign of the man she had come to know in Time Compression. How had she never noticed how attractive Seifer was before.   
  
"Let's get out of this hotel room" he said grinning and standing up. She stood up looking down at her outfit for a moment.   
  
"I can't believe I wore this in public" she said. He grinned eyeing her up and down.   
  
"I'd love it if you'd take it off" he said that arrogant smirk spreading across his face.   
  
"This is the most you're ever going to see" she said grinning back at him as she put her boots on. She stood up uncomfortably pulling down on the short skirt.   
  
"Here" he said with a chuckle. He took his coat off and draped it over her bare shoulders incasing her in the gray leather. She inhaled deeply, the rich sent of him filling her to the core.   
  
"Thanks" she said grabbing her purse.   
  
"Couldn't have anyone else looking at you" he said with a wink. She rolled her eyes as she followed him out of the room.   
  
  
  
Quistis waited impatiently while Seifer purchased train tickets. She glanced over the newspaper headlines while she waited and stopped short at one.   
  


* * *

PRESIDENT LOIRE REMOVED FROM OFFICE   
  
Today the voting of the Esthar Council was official. President Laguna Loire was removed from office today. Esthar City and the surrounding areas will be led now by the nine members of the Esthar council. It will be the first time since the first Sorceress war that a president will not rule Esthar. 

  
  


* * *

  
  
"This ain't a library lady" the newsman said ripping the paper from her hands. She scowled and stormed off to find Seifer. He stood beside the train waiting for her, watching her walk up his trench coat swirling around her legs.   
  
"Where you been, hot stuff" he asked. She flushed automatically shaking her head.   
  
"When did this council of nine take of Esthar?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow.   
  
"A few weeks ago, they said that Esthar needs to be ruled by the people" he said.   
  
"What about Laguna?" Quistis said suddenly remembering she was spossed to have tea with him a while ago. Not that he would want to sit down with a wanted criminal anyway. She looked up at Seifer debating on telling her about that little hindrance. She decided against it right away, not wanting to hear the teasing about it.   
  
"He was a dolt, even you know that" Seifer said casually dismissing the conversation with a wave of his hand. She followed him onto the train finding it hard to believe that the people of Esthar would get rid of Laguna so easily.   
  
  
  



	18. Poetry and a Painting

  
  


~*~Chapter Eighteen~*~   
Poetry and a Painting 

  
  
  
  
  
  
"I have a guest room, there's no reason for you to stay in the hotel" Seifer said again as they walked along the streets of FH towards the hotel she had been staying in.   
  
"If your sure, I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," Quistis said shaking her head.   
  
"I'm sure, you go in and get your things. I'll be waiting here," he said leaning firmly against the wall outside the hotel door. He waited while she went inside. Seifer sighed and shook his head looking around the peaceful city of FH.   
  
  
  
It only took a moment before she came walking out. She was wearing a long black skirt and a flowery top. She carried a black backpack in one hand and her tall boots in the other.   
  
"This is it," she said quietly.   
  
"I thought you would have had more" Seifer said taking the backpack from her hand and slinging it over his shoulder.   
  
"SeeD's are trained to pack light," she said with a wink. He snickered and led her down a narrow side street. They walked up a set of stairs along the side of a big building. At the top floor her pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door.   
  
  
  
The room they walked into was huge with huge picture windows adorning the front. Shiny hard wood floors had carpets laid on them in various places. It was filled with richly colored furniture and the newest technology.   
  
"It seems you have done well for yourself, Seifer" Quistis said looking around.   
  
"I made some good investments in the Esthar stock market" He said with a shrug of his shoulder.   
  
"I didn't know you had such good taste," she said following him down a long hallway.   
  
"I try" he said grinning "Through there is my room, that's the bathroom, and here's your room" he continued pointing to each door in turn. He opened hers revealing a simply furnished room in blue.   
  
"Fuijin stays here sometimes when she needs to get away from Raijun. It should be extremely clean," he said setting her backpack on the bed.   
  
"Thanks" she said smiling. He paused for a moment looking at her standing in the doorframe. She glanced down the hallway and spotted another door there.   
  
"What's in there?" she asked.   
  
"Oh nothing" he said a little too quickly with a wave of his hand. She nodded her eyes sparkling with mischievous.   
  
"Hungry?" he asked.   
  
"Actually, yes" she said following him out into the huge kitchen.   
  
  
  
"Oh and remember that time that you put sand in Zell's sandwich and he ate half of it before he noticed?" Quistis asked through her laughter. They whole lunch had been full of reminiscing, and laughter. She felt like she was getting to know Seifer all over again. The sparkle in his eyes, his deep voice.   
  
"How could I forget, I spent the next week inside scrubbing pots for it. Still it was one of my best moments. The look on Chicken Wuss's face" Seifer said with a laugh. The smile slid off of Quistis' face thinking of the Garden and her friends back there.   
  
"Why don't you get some rest, we'll talk more tomorrow" he said patting her on the hand. Quistis nodded and walked slowly to her room.   
  
  
  
She couldn't fall asleep. Quistis felt as if she had been lying in the soft bed for an eternity. The house was quiet, no noise going on around her. She had heard Seifer go to bed hours ago. She grinned suddenly and got out of bed. Her bare feet were quiet on the floor as she walked to the door at the end of the hallway. She glanced at Seifer's door for a moment before pushing the door in front of her open. She groped along the wall for a moment finally finding the light switch. The light hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room fully. Against one wall sat a desk scattered with papers. Against the other wall sat a wooden cabinet and a large piece of furniture covered in a white paint splattered sheet. She went to the desk first looking over the papers scattered there. Seifer's untidy scrawl adorned most of them. She picked one up off the top and read it out loud.   
  
  
  


_ I stand alone today.   
Don't ask me why I feel .   
I just know that I feel this way .   
You're just in line for your next meal.   
  
I know you don't really care.   
Everyone's out for themselves you know .   
It's all a lie, your just saying that you'll be there .   
We all have our own burdens we are pulling in tow .   
  
Kill 'em all .   
No one ever seems to give a damn .   
I have all ready taken the fall .   
They've always turned their backs and ran .   
  
I'm so tired of fighting .   
I'm so sick of all of this shit .   
So here I am writing .   
I'm just so fucking tired of all of it. _

  
  
  
  
"Poetry" she said setting down the piece of paper. She had never thought Seifer would be the poetry writing type. It seemed so strange to be looking at his scribbled thoughts. She turned away and walked over to the metal cabinet. She opened it up and peered inside at the bottles of paint and stack of brushes that sat there. She frowned and turned to the large covered objects. She pulled the sheet of slowly letting it pool on the floor at her feet.   
  
  
  
She gazed at the picture in awe. It was of her, in the black dress. She stood in the Time Compression throne room, sparkling. Her blond hair piled on the top of her head. Every detail was intricate right down to the black shoes.   
  
"Nosey aren't we instructor" Seifer's voice came from the doorway. She spun around to look at him her eyes wide.   
  
"Did you paint this?" she asked.   
  
"I am a man of many talents," he said with a smirk.   
  
"Where did you see this?" she asked.   
  
"I think you know Instructor, in my dreams," he said taking a few steps closer to her.   
  
"Dreams?" she asked confusion settling in her eyes.   
  
"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow" he said putting a hand on her shoulder. She nodded looking up into his green eyes her mind wandering back to the night when he had kissed her. When she had almost given herself to him. But he had stopped her. He had more honor then she remembered.   
  
"Seifer" she whispered.   
  
"Yeah?" he asked his eyes boring into her again.   
  
"I never said thank you, for the other night" she said.   
  
"I respect you more then that," he said turning away from her. She wanted to call to him as he left the room. She didn't want to be alone anymore.   
  
"Wait" she said softly thinking he wouldn't hear but hoping he would. He stopped the muscles in his back tensing. She held her breath as she turned around slowly to look at her. Her heart thumped against her ribs. She wanted to beg him to stay with her. Not to let her spend another night alone.   
  
"Good night" she said with a smile.   
  
  
  
  
  
  


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A/N: Yes, Seifer's poem was written by me. Incase you were wondering, I tried spacing things out a bit more because it was brought to my attention that it was kind of hard to read. It this any better?   
  
  
I have some special thanks to give out. I love you guys! You made me feel a lot better about my writing. I didn't want to seem like I was beging for reviews. I really wasn't I just was feeling insecure. I feel much better now. and here we go!   
  
Ifalna: thank you! You're right one good review is better then any number of bad ones!   
  
tigerlily35184: You don't have to review every chapter. Im just happy you read it at all! :)   
  
Female Imposta Sephy: Im easily forgetable! It's ok. Thank you for the compliment. I don't think that I'm a better writer then you!   
  
grrl gamer: Of course I am smiling! One of the reasons I check FF.net every day is your story :)! You're an awesome writer!   
  
Dalpal: Your right it is hard not to be a review junkie! I do a little dance everytime I get one! I'm just happy to have people readmy stuff!   
  
Jacks: WOW! You didn't have to go through all the trouble of reviewing every chapter! Thank you! It means so much that you read it at all!   
  
Dark Sapphire: I tried spacing things out more, thanks for the suggjestion. I went back and tried to read it myself and realized you were right. Thanks!! :D   
  
jen: I promise I'll finish this! I all ready know how it's going to end!   
  
.... : I sure hope your brain can handle it! I wouldnt want to be responsiable for it blowing up. I was trying hard for an original plot! Im glad you like it!! :) 


	19. Stolen Kisses

  
  


~*~Chapter Nineteen~*~   
Stolen Kisses 

  
  
  
  
  
The light streamed in through the window leaving a perfect square on the wall. Dust floated through it sparking as it turned. The golden stream of it reminded Quistis of Time Compression. The sent of spices wafted down the hallway tickling her nose with the promise of food. Climbing out of bed she padded into the bathroom. Surprising it was well kept, and clean. She smiled slyly pulling the thick black robe off the pronged hook on the back of the door. She slid the terry cloth on over her borrowed pair of pajamas. He has kindly offered to let her wear a pair of his pajamas last night. She couldn't resist the temptation to be wearing Seifer Almasy's pajamas. The sent of him mixed with the sent of clean filled her. She rubbed her cheek against the nubby material as she walked into the kitchen area.   
  
  
Seifer stood there in a pair of loose fitting black sweat pants hanging low on his hips. His back was facing here, well carved with muscles. The silver chained winked from his neck, in the morning sun. For the first time ever she noticed the red tattoo on his shoulder. It was a Hyperion cross with a rose intertwined around it.   
  
  
"When did you get that?" she asked. He looked over his shoulder at her.   
  
"Got a little too drunk one night, I actually ended up liking it the next day," he said eyeing her up and down in his robe.   
  
"You don't mind do you?" she asked.   
  
"Only if I get to see what's under it too," he said with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and sat down at the table. Seifer brought the food over and served her. He sat down across from her, looking down at his plate.   
  
"I've been in Time Compression," she said bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush anymore.   
  
"How?" he asked frowning. She explained it all to him. The plans, sneaking into the lab, entering the machine.   
  
"So, I came looking for you. To set things right" Quistis finished.   
  
"I never knew you to be so resourceful," he said with a snicker.   
  
"I am a woman of many talents," she said quoting him smirking. He only shook his head and looked back down at his plate.   
  
"I dream about Time Compression, or at least the part of myself that's lost there. Every night, the same routine, I must atone for that which I have done. I look into the faces of those I've killed" he said softly his voice monotone.   
  
"I know you didn't do all those things willingly," she said.   
  
"It was still me that held the Gunblade" he countered looking down at his bare hands.   
  
"I want to help you Seifer," she said slowly.   
  
"Why? Why do you want to help me?" he asked looking up at her with his green orbs.   
  
"I failed you once. I'm only trying to make up for it," she said. Emerald eyes pierced her to the core, deep with feeling.   
  
"I failed me"   
  
"Seifer... please just let me help you," she said reaching out to touch his hand softly. He nodded slowly placing his other hand on top of hers.   
  
"We'll leave for Esthar today," he said with a nod.   
  
"Great, I'll go change" Quistis said standing up.   
  
"Oh, Fuijin brought some things over for you. There are in the living room for you" he said a smirk spreading across his face.   
  
"Oh great" Quistis said heaving a sigh. She walked slowly into the living room, amazed at the pile of packages there.   
  
"Hey she's got good intentions," Seifer said as he began to clear the table.   
  
"Where did Fuijin get all this money?" Quistis called into the next room.   
  
"Who the hell knows," Seifer said with a chuckle. Fuijin must have known how desperate Quistis was for cloths. There was two bags brimming with cloths. The third bag was full of make-up and hair accessories.   
  
"Remind me to send Fuijin a nice thank you note" Quistis said sarcastically eyeing the revealing cloths.   
  
"I'm gonna get in the shower" he said walking into the room. Quistis nodded not looking up form the assortment of cloths. He stood there watching her for a few moments more.   
  
"What" she said standing up and putting one hand on her hip looking Squallesque.   
  
"I need my robe, unless you want me to walk around naked" he said with a smirk.   
  
"As appealing as that sounds, I think I'll hand it over" she said sliding it off, leaving her standing in hi baggy pajamas.   
  
"Anyone ever tell you how sexy you look in a pair of pajamas" he said sarcasm dripping heavily in his voice.   
  
"Well you got to see what was under it didn't you? Now shoo," she said waving him off. He chuckled and left the room tossing the robe over his shoulder.   
  
Quistis sighed looking back at the cloths with a shake of her head.   
  
  
He walked into the living room wriggling his fingers into his black leather gloves. She sat on the couch brushing out her long blond hair oblivious to him behind her. Quistis stared out the window, enjoying the view of the ocean. It was so peaceful here FH was always quiet.   
  
"Are you ready" Seifer voice came softly from behind her. She only nodded throwing the brush into the suitcase that had accompanied Fuijin's shopping spree. She followed him out of the house watching his every graceful movement. I never realized how handsome her was. What was I, blind?   
  
"Quistis" Seifer said pulling her out of her reverie.   
  
"Yes?" she asked looking up into his eyes.   
  
"Are you all right, you seem quiet" he asked taking the suitcase from her hands. She looked around realizing that they were at the train station.   
  
"Just nervous, I'm not sure what's going to happen once you are in Time Compression" she said softly. He nodded sage like, agreeing with her.   
  
"Let's just take it one step at a time. First by getting on the train," he said smirking a little at the end of the sentence. She stuck her tongue out at him and climbed onto the train. She claimed a window seat looking, Seifer plopping down next to her. He couldn't help but admire her in the cloths Fuijin had picked out. A pair of tight black velvet pants graced her long legs. An emerald green tank top made her red hair sparkle even more.   
  
"First stop Esthar" the conductor's voice came from over the speaker.   
  
  
They got off at the Esthar train station Quistis looking around nervously. Seifer stuck out like a sore thumb the red crosses screaming from the sleeves of his jacket. She stowed her luggage in an airport locker, letting Seifer tuck her Save the Queen into his jacket. Quistis suddenly felt eyes looking at her from across the airport. A man in an Esthar police uniform was looking right at them.   
  
"Shit" Quistis muttered under her breath grabbing hold of Seifer's arm.   
  
"What is it" Seifer asked frowning. She pulled him into a corner placing her back against the cool metal wall.   
  
"Pretend to kiss me" she said under her breath trying to watch the police officer over his shoulder, He was heading their way.   
  
"Pretend?" he said with a smirk. He pretended to look thoughtful for a moment before spotting the panic in her eyes. He bent down and softly placed his lips against hers. Quistis suddenly felt herself thinking back to the night in the bar. She started to kiss him back slowly closing her eyes. His arms encircled her pressing her against the warmth of his body. He was an even better kisser when she wasn't drunk. They pulled away staring into each other's eyes.   
  
"What was that all about?" Seifer asked a little breathless as she peered over his shoulder.   
  
"Thought I saw someone I knew" Quistis said with a shake of her head.   
  
"That's all, huh?" he asked smirking. She laughed out loud.   
  
"Seifer don't be silly," she said realizing she was still in his strong arms. He cocked an eyebrow and sealed the space between their lips again. She felt herself melting against him. Her mind clouded with the feeling of his tongue brushing her own.   
  
"Seifer!" she exclaimed pulling away shaking her head. He smirked at her.   
  
"Irresistible, ain't I" he said cockily.   
  
"Let's go," she said slipping out of his arm.   
  
  
They walked silently down the glass streets of Esthar. Dr. Odine's lab loomed before them, foreboding against the sky.   
  
"Well what's the plan" Seifer asked right as they go to the lab. She looked at him and rolled her eyes.   
  
"How should I know" she said.   
  
"Tsk tsk, don't get testy now Instructor" he retorted.   
  
"Let's just go in and see how far we get" Quistis said pushing open the door to the lab. Seifer followed her in towering behind her. She could tell he was ready for battle. Every musscle in his body was tense in anticipation. He was ready to dance.   
  
"Calm down big boy, I don't want to fight if we don't have to" she said.   
  
"Always be prepared" he said jerkily resting his hand on the black hilt of his Hyperion. She nodded staying alert, eyes moving constantly.   
  
"Damn it" Quistis said spotting Dr. Odine ahead. She grabbed Seifer's lapel and yanked him into the Janitors closet. They were very close in the cramped space.   
  
"Funny how we keep meeting like this, Instructor" Seifer whispered his lips close to her ear. She gave him a stern look and shook her head. He smirked while footsteps passed by.   
  
"And would you stop calling me that! I am not your Instructor anymore!" Quistis exclaimed. He chuckled under his breath and followed her out of the closet. Fortunatly for them it was lunch hour and most of the scientests were out. A few remained though when they finally reached the lab but were quickly dispatched by sleep spells.   
  
  
Seifer stared at himself when at last they walked into the lowered room. The other Seifer hadn't moved from the table that Qusitis had last seen him on.   
  
"Come on" she said quietly pulling him by the hand over to the Time Compression Machine. He nodded and stepped inside, watching her every move as she started it up. She stepped inside beside him, closing the door. Seifer suddenly grasped her hand before they were cast out into time compression.   
  
  
  


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Sorry if this chapter was too long, but I really wanted to get things moving. Thanks for reading. And thanks again Everyone for all the AWESOME reviews! I love you guys!   
  



	20. Broken Dreams

A/N: Mwhahah the return of the FLICKER!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty~*~   
Broken Dreams 

  
  
  
  
  
_ Flicker. _   
  
  
The familiar stale feeling of time compression slid over her like a worn glove. She stood again on the glimmering obsidian expanse. The bodies of the dead were staring up at her. Lifeless eyes, corpses trapped forever in their torment. Seifer stood beside Quistis watching the red clouds swirl against the dull gray sky. He raked a gloved hand through his golden spikes and looked at her questioningly. Foot steps echoes around them, a figure in the distance moving closer.   
  
  
_ Flicker.   
_   
  
The time compression Seifer still retained the long hair. It tumbled down his back against the light gray trench coat. They walked towards each other, trench coats flapping behind them.   
  
"I see you have succeeded, Instructor," the time compression Seifer said with a sneer.   
  
"You said if I brought you together you could leave this place," Quistis said.   
  
"Ah I wasn't entirely truthful with you" longhaired Seifer said with that famous Almasy smirk.   
  
"What do you mean?" Quistis asked her lips drawing into a firm line.   
  
"I told you there was one way I could leave, and that was if you brought him here. Which is all true but--"   
  
"We must fight. If I win, we join and leave. If he wins we are both stuck here, forever" the other Seifer cut in wrapping his gloved hand around the hilt of his Hyperion. Longhaired Seifer nodded and did the same gesture. It was like looking in the mirror. The tension between them was so thick it was almost tangible.   
  
"You don't need to fight, just let him go" Quistis said looking pleadingly at the both of them. Shorthaired Seifer shrugged his coat off and locked eyes with her.   
  
"Take this for me, don't worry I'll be able to get it back," he said with a wink holding the long coat out to her. She took it slowly her hands shaking.   
  
"Good luck, Seifer" she said.   
  
"Hey, save that for a bad students who needs it" he said smirk spreading across his face. She smiled back slightly sliding the trench coat on.   
  
  
_ Flicker.   
Flicker. FLICKER. Flicker. _   
  
  
They turned to look at each other, the sound of two gunblades whistling through the air. The metal clashed sending sparks scattering across the black obsidian. Parry, thrust, block, they clashed together. Graceful, trying to anticipate each other's movement. It was a fury of motions and sounds like she had never seen. Each fought with the whole of their being. It wasn't just a fight it was a dance. Their dance to the death. Quistis shouted suddenly as longhaired Seifer managed to shove his gunblade deep into the other Seifer's side. Blood splattered all over the time compressioners trench coat.   
  
"Looks like I win" long hair said with a growl. The other fell forward a bit his hand hitting hard on the obsidian. He gritted his teeth into a smirk and look up at the mirror image of himself.   
  
"No you haven't. It's not over yet," he said shoving himself to his feet. A slow almost inhuman smile slid across his face.   
  
"Fire Cross" short hair whispered his feet slowly rising from the ground. Raising into the air his gunblade flashing at his side. Quistis' eyes widened she had seen this before. Actually the last time was in the Lunatic Pandora when he had used it on her.   
  
"Bloodfest" shorthaired Seifer shouted.   
  
"Bloodfest" the other whispered at the same time. The ground erupted beneath them a burst of fire aiming for the heavens. The Seifer in the air slashed his Hyperion out in a cross formation sending a trail of fire across the other Seifer. Blood poured from the Seifer in the air as he sank slowly to the ground clutching his side with his free hand. Longhaired Seifer laid on the ground defeated his eyes blank.   
  
"Make us one again" the victor demanded the tip of his Hyperion resting on the blackness. The other nodded from his position on the ground.   
  
  
_ Flicker. Flicker. _   
  
  
They were now standing in the throne room. Shimmering spirits danced around them their sad song echoing against the stone walls. The two Seifer's stood face to face. Both covered in blood. They nodded slowly at the same time and understanding coming to each of them. They stepped together the air seemed to meld around them, their arms melting into one another. Liquid as one sank into the other. It was over quickly leaving one standing there clutching his side, blood pouring between his fingers.   
  
"Seifer" Quistis said tentatively taking a step closer to him. He fell forward suddenly in a gasp of pain.   
  
"SEIFER!" Quistis shouted her voice rising over the spirits song. She fell to her knees beside him. The trench coat pooled on the ground around her as she pulled the upper part of him into her lab.   
  
"Quistis" he said softly looking at her through pain dazed eyes.   
  
"It's going to be ok Seifer," she said softly cleaning away a splatter of blood on his cheek. He gasped through his haggard breathing coughing up a bit of blood.   
  
"No, I don't think its going to be" he said slowly grasping her hand.   
  
  
_ Flicker.. _   
  
  
"What do you mean?" Quistis asked frantically tears springing up in her blue eyes.   
  
"I'll not survive this wound, don't ever forget me" he said coughing again.   
  
"No!" she exclaimed the tears freely falling from her cheek. He fell silent his eyes fluttering shut.   
  
"SEIFER" she shouted shaking him a bit. No, he can't be dying. Her mind was racing, tears staining her cheek. She leaned forward resting her forehead against his.   
  
"After all the pain you've been through Seifer, it wasn't spossed to end like this. After all you've been through the least Hyne could do was give you a happy ending" Quistis whispered her tears falling onto his cold face.   
  
  
_ Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. _   
  
  
Something was happening; the walls were shifting around her. From gray stones to purple sky with torn edges. Shifting clouds. There was a giant tear in the sky, the hole blue beyond. It's ragged edges flapped in the wind that was t there. Sprits hovered around the rip. She gasped, as she suddenly felt cold. Someone was taking them out. She lowered her head against Seifer's again. He was so cold.   
  
  
_ Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.   
Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.   
Flicker. Flicker. Flicker. _   
  
  
The Dr.'s lab came into view around her. Dull plain, bitter. She screamed as rough hands tore her away from Seifer. Esthar Guards, dragging her away. She couldn't take her eyes off his limp body on the floor. She didn't want to leave him there.   
  
She didn't want to leave him ever; it wasn't spossed to happen this way. 


	21. Darkness

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-One~*~   
Darkness 

  
  
  
  
  
They dragged her along the glass streets of Esther. To her utmost humiliation townspeople gathered around to watch her. Some threw things at her, mostly missing. She was in a state of shock. Seifer couldn't possibly be dead. The image of his still form on the floor haunted her. She couldn't stop weeping.   
  
  
  
They loaded her into a dark train car, leaving her to her thought on the way to the prison. She was numbly staring at the red crosses on the arms of his trench coat. His sent lingered there, teasing her. He was gone forever. Everything she had gone through to save him had been worthless.   
  
  
  
Squinting against the hot sun, they led her across the sun into the metal prison. They walked her down; she noticed bullet holes still riddles some of the walls from her last stay here. This time they took her to the bottom floor. Solid black metal doors lined the walls.   
  
"Here's your room" one of the guards growled opening one of the doors.   
  
  
  
He shoved her forward into the pitch-black room slamming the door behind her. She stood up feeling around the small square of space. Barely enough to lie down in, and hardly enough to stand in, she could feel the ceiling brushing her hair. She said, pulling the trench coat into her lap. It was all a painful reminder of him. A reminder of Seifer Almasy. Her heart ached at the sound of his name. She said it out loud just to hear it. Just the sound of it made her burst into sobs again. She realized suddenly that those stolen kisses back at the train station had meant something to her. The painting of her must have meant something. She wept loudly realizing she was falling in love with Seifer Almasy. Now, he was dead. She was too late to even tell him. He would never know. So she said it out loud. Over and Over just to hear the sound of her own voice in the darkness.   
  
"I love Seifer Almasy," she said. Her own voice kept her from getting lost in the darkness. She cried into the lapel of the coat breathing in his sent. How could he have died, when she had just found him? Was Quistis Trepe never meant to be happy? Was she doomed to be alone forever?   
  
  
  
The door swung open lighting up the dark outline of a huge guard. He grabbed her roughly up by the lapel of Seifer's trench coat and yanked her out of the cell. She fought to get out of his grasp, struggling against his superior weight. He pulled her into a square room with rust running down the walls. He turned her around too look at him and with a smile he clocked her right in the eye. She reeled in shock a bit, pain exploding through her skull.   
  
  
  
The guard grabbed one of her wrists and drug her over to the wall where a set of leather covered manacles hung. He shoved her front to the wall leaving her back facing him. She fought, struggled, kicked, nothing helped as he slid the gray trench coat off her. He tossed it on the ground leaving it in a heap off to the side. The manacles were slammed firmly around her wrists, her mind cloudy still from the punch. The guard leaned against the wall beside her holding something black on his hands. She glanced over in horror realizing that black coil was her own Save the Queen.   
  
"Have you ever felt the sting of your own weapon?" he asked grasping the grip in his hands as he walked around behind her. The whip whistled through the air cracking as it hit her back. She bit her lip drawing blood, not wanting to cry out. He hit her again and again blood pouring down her back. She turned her head looking down at the coat on the floor. Her eyes never left the red Hyperion cross-emblazoned there.   
  
  
  
When the guard felt she had been beaten enough he tossed her back into the little room. He threw the coat at her feet laughing. Her lips were bloody from biting them. Her back bloody from her own weapon. She cried curling up into a little ball.   
  
  
  
She didn't know how long she had spent into the little black space. She had at last fallen asleep leaning against the cold metal wall. Her stomach wondered when the next meal was. Quistis was beginning not to care if she died down here. It didn't feel as if she had anything left to live for. She had finally come to love someone, and now he was gone.   
  
  
  
Quistis spent a far part of the day pounding against the door begging for food, for water. She longed for companionship, the darkness seeping into her mind. She took extra care not to get blood on Seifer's trench coat. Not wanting to mar the light gray material. She talked to herself about all kinds of things, about her memories at the orphanage, about her friend's back at the garden, most of all about Seifer.   
  
  
  
The second time she had finally fell asleep she was awakened. There was a noise in the hallway and the sound of feet. She leaned against the metal door straining to hear what was going on out there. Suddenly the familiar sound of gunblade bullets filled her ears.   
  
"Seifer" she whispered feeling her heart flutter in her chest.   
  
"I'm in here" she screamed beginning to pound her fists on the door. The metal dug into her skin, but she kept pounding. There were more shouts, and more shots. Suddenly all was quiet except for her beating on the door.   
  
"In here" she called again. Suddenly the door swung open slowly letting light pour into the small space. A guard stood there a hand holding a gunblade to his throat. Her eyes trailed up the silver weapon to the man holding it. Gray eyes under a shaggy fringe of brown hair stared at her.   
  
"Squall" she said in shock.   
  
  
  



	22. Homecoming

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to a few people who have kept me going on this fic. grrl_gamer, Jacks, DalPal, Female Imposta Sephy and Ifalna.   
All of them a GREAT writers, read their fics. Please? :)   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Two~*~   
Homecoming 

  
  
  
  
  
"Let's go," Squall said quietly dragging the guard over to the control panel for the lift. Squall looked at her his eyes taking everything in.   
  
"Why do you have that?" he asked staring at the trench coat in disgust.   
  
"It's a long story Squall" she replied weakly.   
  
"Whatever" Squall said as they waited for the lift to start up. Quistis watched the prison zoom by her heart leaden in her chest. For a moment her world had been light again. Her heart had leapt when she thought it might have been Seifer.   
  
  
She followed Squall along the top floor giving weak smiled to Selphie and Zell who the met along the way. The shiny red metal of the Ragnarock gleamed against the dull sand. None of them spoke as Selphie helped her onto the plane.   
  
"I've got a lot of explaining to do" Quistis said as soon as they had her seated.   
  
"It can wait till we are back in the Garden" Squall said with an aloof shrug of one shoulder. Quistis leaned back in her seat and stared out the window at the blue sky. It felt strange to at last be going home.   
  
  
The Garden was a beautiful site. The sun was setting in the hills just behind it. The halo flickering on. Cool blue metal reminding her of unmoving water. They docked the Ragnarock and walked into through the front gate. It all seemed a little surreal to her after being gone for so long. She felt so numb looking blankly around at the place she had always thought of as home. Squall led her into the infirmary leaving her with Dr.Kodwaski.   
  
  
"Good to see you again" the Dr. said as Quistis said down on the bed on her stomach. The Dr. gasped when she saw Quistis' shredded back.   
  
"Well, I see some healing magic is in order" the Dr. said leaving the room. She returned with Selphie, both looking quite serious. Selphie leaned over her back murmuring under her breath. Quistis must have seen Selphie do it in a thousand battles before. But it was so different to be this close as the healing magic of Full Cure washed over her. Pain was left with the feeling of cold, and emptiness.   
  
"All you need is some food, and a lot of bed rest. Take care of yourself Quistis" the Dr., said handing her some pills for sleeping.   
  
"Squall told me to tell you that you have the next hour free. Then you need to report to the headmasters office," Selphie said with a cheery smile.   
  
"Thanks Selph, for everything" Quistis said weakly leaving the infirmary. She wandered up to her dorm room, taking her time along the hallways. Her dorm was exactly the way she left it except with a fresh layer of dust. She considered taking a shower but didn't have the energy. Not enough time to take a nap. She changed quickly relishing the familiar feel of her old cloths. She opted to wander around the garden, waving to familiar faces.   
  
  
She wandered into the training canter weaving her way to the secret place. Luckily it was vacant giving her a lovely view of the stars glittering over the glassy ocean. Fresh tears slid slowly down her cheeks, one falling heavily on the back of her hand. She leaned heavily against the wall, staring out at the ocean. Her cry was interrupted as she heard a familiar giggle behind her. Rinoa stumbled into the secret area with Squall right behind her.   
  
"Hey Quisty" Rinoa said with a giggle. Squall looked at her stonily.   
  
"I'll leave you guys alone" she said rushing out of the secret area. She rushed from the garden all the way to the sandy beach. She screamed out loud then running into the surf. She hit the water screaming.   
  
"It's not fair, now that I've found him you take him away from me" she screamed dropping to her knees on the beach. She banged her fists against the wet sand the waves crashing around her. She sobbed hit the sand over and over again.   
  
  
"Don't cry, your still beautiful" she heard a soft voice whisper behind her close to her ear. She spun around the wet trench coat sticking her calves. He stood there looking like some night god. The moon gleamed in his spiky hair, shining in his deep eyes. His lips turned up in a smile lighting his whole face.   
  
"Seifer" she whispered disbelieving. She stared up at him her eyes wide. He was alive.   
  
"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said.   
  
"I thought you were dead" she whispered.   
  
"I promised I'd be back for my coat," he said with a smirk. She suddenly leapt forward and threw her arms around him their lips meeting in a soft kiss. His eyes widened in shock for a moment but then he fell into the kiss holding her tightly. She stepped back remaining in his arms looking into his gold flecked emerald eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks.   
  
"What was that for" he said softly touching her hair.   
  
"Oh just happy I'm not stuck wearing this dreadful heavy thing for the rest of my life," she said with a smile. He laughed releasing her, a genuine smiling on his face. She smiled back slipping the coat off her slim shoulders. She held it out to him taking a deep breath. He took it from her, for a moment their fingers touching. He slid it on, it falling around his frame like a glove.   
  
"It suites you so well" Quistis whispered her heart fluttering in her chest. She couldn't help but think of the hours that she had spent staring at it.   
  
"Doesn't look half shabby on you either," he said sitting down on the ground next to her.   
  
"How'd you get here?" she asked suddenly.   
  
"Well, after the guards dragged you away. Which was quite a shock I might add, I came around. I think I was actually dead for a moment. It was all too quick. I got the hell out of Esthar. This was the only place that I was sure I could get help for you" he said.   
  
"So you risked your life coming here to get me out?" she asked.   
  
"Yeah, but they wouldn't let me go with them to the prison. Said it was a SeeD operation, or some crap. I wanted to be there," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.   
  
"Seifer, there's something I have to tell you" Quistis said softly staring out into the ocean. Her eyes were misty with tears again.   
  
"What is it, Quistis" he asked turning his head to look at her. She couldn't believe that he was alive. After all that time of chanting his name into the darkness.   
  
"We better get to Cid's," she said at last not having the nerve to speak the words. She was so afraid he would turn her away.   
  
"Your right" he said slowly nodding his head. He followed her out of the secret area leaving the stars behind.   
  
  
The rest of the gang was all ready gathered outside of Cid's office when they arrived. Quistis walked over to talk to Selphie while Seifer leaned against a wall, distancing himself from the others. She kept furtively glancing at him. Suddenly the whole group fell hushed as Zell walked over and stood in front of Seifer. The tattooed man glared at his childhood tormenter.   
  
"I just wanted to say that if Quisty can forgive you, then I'm man enough to put the shit behind us" Zell said thrusting his gloved hand forward to shake. Seifer nodded slowly shaking his hand briskly. Quistis watched in shock as Zell turned from Seifer and led them into Cid's office.   
  
"That was odd" Seifer whispered to her as the walked into the wide windowed room. Behind the huge desk sat Cid, as usual with Matron. On the other side of the room sat a familiar longhaired man.   
  
"President Laguna!" Quistis exclaimed giving the older man a hug. Laguna smiled at her as he sat back down. Quistis took a seat in between Seifer and Squall looking up at Cid.   
  
"Quistis, welcome home" Cid said with a smile. Quistis smiled back and nodded her head slightly.   
  
"You completed your mission as expected, Quistis" Matron said from next to Cid with a smile.   
  
"My mission? I thought I was on vacation," Quistis said.   
  
"The vacation was a cover up. We knew Seifer was in Esthar. It wouldn't have been right for us to ask you to retrieve him," Matron said.   
  
"So you sent me there knowing I would figure out something was going on," Quistis asked feeling slightly angry.   
  
"Yes, the only unexpected thing was the over throw of the Estharian government. Therefor you being put in prison" Cid said.   
  
"I see" Quistis said flatly.   
  
"Something strange is going on with the council of nine" Laguna piped in.   
  
"Strange?" Quistis asked.   
  
"You've been in Esthar, seen the way people are acting" Laguna said. Quistis nodded thinking of the animalistic faces the towns people had worn when the guards had dragged her through town.   
  
"We need you to go and investigate" Cid said with a nod of his head.   
  
"Why me?" Quistis asked looking around at all the others gathered in the room.   
  
"You know the most about what's going on in Esthar, Seifer will be going with you" he replied.   
  
"I will?" Seifer asked raising one of his eyebrows.   
  
"That is another matter. Seifer you are not SeeD. You can not stay here. After you help Quistis you will return to your life" Cid said.   
  
"Thank you so much for the permission" Seifer said his voice dripping with arrogance.   
  
"You can stay in your old room while you are here. You two will leave tomorrow," Cid said. They all filed out of the room, heading their separate ways.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Aww I couldn't leave him dead! I love him just too much! *huggles*   
  
I was wondering, of thoose of you that have read my short fic titled "What have I become?". Any of you think I should continue it? Or is it fine the way it is? Just was wondering if I could get some feed back..   
  
Also, does anyone else have a Live Journal? If you do I'd love to read it! I love all you guys, always so nice!   
http://www.livejournal.com/users/aloniaeverclear This is mine if anyones interested! Thanks! 


	23. Confessions

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Three~*~   
Confession 

  
  
  
  
  
Quistis couldn't sleep. The whole Garden was silent around her in her little dorm room. Things were so tidy and neat around her, bare walls, clean desk. She sighed and hit her pillow a few times to try and make it more comfortable. She turned to look at the door for staring at its cool metal, and the blinking control panel next to it. She climbed out of bed with a huff.   
  
"I wonder if Seifer's awake" she said to herself grabbing her fuzzy pink robe. She slid it on, leaving the room. The walk down the quiet marble hallways seemed to take forever. So many memories lay in this memorial of marble. The water floors beneath her still trickled in its fountain sending its cascading sound through the whole school. She stopped in front of Seifer's dorm room. Light flooded through the crack at the bottom of the door. She knocked daintily afraid he might have been asleep. A few moments later the door slid open, revealing him. He was wearing only his black leather pants, the trench coat draped over a chair behind him.   
  
"I couldn't sleep" Quistis said with a small smile. He nodded and stepped aside to let her in. She walked into his old dorm room looking around. After the war they had decided to leave it the way it was in case Seifer ever came back to claim his things. Some of it was boxed up, now all of those boxes were open and items were strewn all over the floor.   
  
"Just going through some of this stuff" he said sitting down on the bed. She sat down in one of his leather chairs, feeling a bit awkward.   
  
"Anything good?" Quistis asked eyeing the stack of papers sitting on the bed next to him.   
  
"Nothing really, just some homework I never turned in" he said sorting through another stack. She sighed and pulled a box into her lap. It felt strange to go through Seifer's things, but he didn't stop her. The box was full of old pictures. Most were of him and the Posse in various places around the world. She routed through them smiling at the looks on their faces. She stopped suddenly finding a picture of her buried with in it all. In the picture she was wearing her SeeD uniform, her golden locks up in the usual way.   
  
"I wish my hair was blond again," she said with a small sigh.   
  
"Your hair could be green and you'd still look good, Instructor" he said with a smirk. She laughed and set the pictures back in the box. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander along the firm muscles of his chest and stomach.   
  
"Seifer" she said softly looking up into his eyes.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"I love you" she said the words coming unbidden to her lips before she could stop them. He looked up connecting with her eyes. He sat there silent for a few moments.   
  
"I know," he said at last looking back down at the papers in his lap.   
  
Her heart fell into her stomach like a lead ball. It wasn't exactly the answer she had been looking for. Quistis' breath caught in her throat tears unwillingly coming to her eyes. She stood and fled the room not wanting him to see her cry. She hopped he would call after, profess his undying love. He didn't, she raced to her room not caring if she woke up the world. She reached her room slamming the door behind her.   
  
"I KNOW?" she shouted grabbing the pencil cup from her desk and throwing it against the wall. Pencils scattered across the carpet. Heaving a deep breath she threw herself onto the bed.   
  
"I know!?" she said again hitting the bed with a balled up fist. She screamed into the pillow as sobs over took her anger.   
  
"Quisty?" came a small female voice from the door. She looked up from her tear stained pillow to see Selphie creep into the room.   
  
"Hey Selphie" Quistis said trying to shut off the tears. She wanted to put up her usual cold façade. It seemed to be failing her lately. She was no longer an ice queen. Not since she had fallen in love with Seifer Almasy.   
  
"What happened?" Selphie asked softly shutting the door behind her. The brunette slowly crossed the room and sat on the bed next to Quistis.   
  
"I'm in love" Quistis said her voice bitter.   
  
"Love? That's great!" Selphie exclaimed.   
  
"No, no it's not. I'm in love with Seifer" Quistis said half muffling her voice in the pillow.   
  
"Seifer Almasy!" Selphie exclaimed her eyes growing wide.   
  
"The one and only" Quistis said with a sigh.   
  
"Did you tell him?" Selphie asked.   
  
"Oh yeah, and you know what he said? He said I KNOW!" she finished the sentence with a shout hitting her pillow again. Selphie petted her on the back a moment and sighed.   
  
"He's stupid for not seeing what he's missing" Selphie said with a small smile. Quistis looked up at her.   
  
"Really?" she asked.   
  
"Totally" Selphie said her smile growing wider. Quistis nodded smiling a little too.   
  
"Your right" she said.   
  
"Now you better get some sleep" Selphie said giving her a stern look. Quistis laughed a bit and nodded her head. Selphie left the room waving a bit before she slipped out the door.   
  
"You're gonna see what your missing, Seifer Almasy" Quistis said firmly before clicking off the light.   
  
  
  
A/N: This story is going to be done before I know it :( 


	24. Cold and Hot

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Four~*~   
Cold and Hot 

  
  
  
  
  
A pounding on her door awakened her the next morning. She opened it up slowly her eyes still sleepy. Zell stood there with carrying two familiar looking suitcases and a black backpack.   
  
"Cid managed to retrieve your stuff from both FH, and Esthar" Zell said barging into the room. He threw the suitcases into a chair and shadowboxed a bit.   
  
"Thanks Zell"   
  
"No prob. Good luck on your mission. I gotta go train," he said leaving the room a quickly as he came in. Quistis smiled looking at the two suitcases.   
  
"What to wear" she said eyeing the suitcase full of cloths that Fuijin had bought her. She grinned and turned to get in the shower.   
  
  
  
Seifer was waiting for her at the front gate leaning casually against a post. The Ragnarock loomed behind him, Squall and Selphie waiting for them by the back door. Quistis tried to walk confidently when she spotted Seifer. But she couldn't stop her heart from thumping in her chest. He turned his head to look at her, and she got some small satisfaction in seeing his eyes widen.   
  
She wore a black leather skirt that came down to her knees with her black knee high boots. The high collared purple vest left her long graceful arms bare. Seifer stood up straight and turned to look at her.   
  
"You're only missing one thing," he said reaching into his trench coat. He pulled out her black coiled Save the Queen. She took it slowly remembering the pain it had given her. She felt she had a better understanding of it now that she had felt its pain.   
  
"Where did you get this?" she asked quietly running her hand along the leather.   
  
"Selphie got it from the prison, told me to give it to you" he said turning to lead the way to the Ragnarock. She looped it around her waist saying thank you to Selphie as she walked past her. Selphie flew the plane to Esthar landing expertly. They said their good-byes leaving Seifer and Quistis alone in the airport.   
  
"Squall told me that Cid procured us the same hotel room I stayed in last time I was here," she said leading the way out of the airport. They were silent as they walked through Esthar. Checking into the hotel room was easy. At least no one there remembered her.   
  
  
  
They walked into the hotel room, and Seifer let out a low whistle.   
  
"This is bigger then my entire apartment" he said.   
  
"I'm taking the brown room," she said walking across the plush carpet to drop her suitcase there.   
  
"What do you think we should do first?" Seifer shouted from the other room.   
  
"Well, first finding out who the council of nine are would be a good start" she answered.   
  
"Like names?" he asked still shouting.   
  
"Yeah then we can find where they came from" Quistis said.   
  
"I'll go get names, you stay here. We don't need you thrown in jail again," he said. She nodded.   
  
"Good Idea, you be careful," she said slowly as she watched him leave. She sighed and plopped down into the couch. She turned on the TV clicking through the channels quickly before turning it off.   
  
"I know," she said out loud standing up. She wandered slowly into his room, eyeing the suitcase and large Hyperion Gunblade case that lay there. The glossy red cross shined as she opened it slowly. The inside was lined in thick black velvet. In the upper corner was a black encased cleaning kit with him name embossed in gold on the outside. She ran her fingers over the shiny letters. She picked it up, the leather cool in her hands. Underneath it lay a beat up picture of Fuijin and Raijun. Quistis smiled picking it up.   
  
"Always a posse" she said slowly before setting it back in the box. She set the cleaning kit back down, running her hand along the soft black velvet. She stopped suddenly when she heard the door to the hotel room open. She closed the Gunblade case and slipped out of his room.   
  
  
  
An unfamiliar man stood in the living room. He wore a green sash and was snooping around the papers she had left on the table. She gripped her Save the Queen tightly.   
  
"What are you doing in here?" she said in her icy Instructor tone.   
  
"Quistis Trepe" the man said in a rich voice.   
  
"Who are you?" she asked uncoiling her whip.   
  
"My name is Lachlan Motimer, I am the leader of the council of nine" he said with a grin.   
  
"Pleasure to finally meet you, what are you doing here" she said glaring at him.   
  
"You can never stop us, We rule Esthar and soon we will rule everything else" Lachlan said his green eyes slowly turning a filmy white.   
  
"What are you" Quistis said her eyes growing wide.   
  
"I am what you released," he said. He started towards her, crossing the room in long strides. She backed up a few feet trying to get away from him. He grabbed her suddenly wrapping his long fingers around her forearm. Suddenly he spoke with a thousand voices.   
  
"We are vengeful spirits, ones you released when you brought Almasy out of Time Compression. You created a rip in the void, now we are all coming out," he said tightening his grip on her. She suddenly felt very cold, pain spreading from her arm. She watched in horror as frost began to spread across her skin emanating from his hand.   
  
"We will take this world, all starting with Esthar. But too bad you won't be around to see it" he whispered bringing his lips close to hers. The front door boomed open suddenly Seifer rushing holding his Gunblade out.   
  
"Get off her" he said his voice flat, but his eyes crackling. Lachlan laughed his feet rising a few feet from the floor.   
  
"Almasy, you shall become one of us" Lachlan said suddenly his body turning into mist. The mist rolled across the floor and out the window. Quistis stood for a moment before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell backwards.   
  
"Shit" Seifer said dropping his Gunblade. He rushed over to her seeing the frost covering her arm.   
  
"Cureaga" he said releasing the spell into her. It did no good only to make her more cold.   
  
"Duh Almasy, healing magic is cold," he said getting to his feet. He rushed into the bathroom and turned on the hot water, starting to fill the huge porcelain tub. He ran back into the living room and picked her up easily and carried her into the bathroom. He sighed hesitating only for a moment before starting to unlace her boots.   
  
"I always wanted to see you naked, Instructor, but not like this," he said leaning her against him so he could unzip the back of her skirt. He slid it down, leaving it in a heap on the floor. She was unconscious in his arms in nothing but a bra and her little lace panties. He groaned and closed his eyes as he slid her bra off. The panties came last, him trying to look away as much as possible. He slid her into the tub slowly, making sure to completely cover her arm in the hot water.   
  
"You are a beautiful woman," he said shaking his head slightly. He grabbed a towel from the rack and dipped it in the hot water, before wrapping it around her hair. He sat on the toilet facing away from her, trying to keep his mind on other things then the beautiful woman naked in the tub behind him.   
  
  
  
Warm. Everything was so warm. Quistis's eyes fluttered open slowly. She took in her surroundings slowly, eyeing Seifer's back.   
  
"So now you've taken to undressing helpless girls?" Quistis asked smiling a little bit. Seifer laughed but didn't turn around.   
  
"Let me get you your robe" he said leaving the room, but not turning to look at her.   
  
"What a gentleman" she said unwrapping the warm towel from her hair. She stared at the fading red mass; it was now a strawberry blond color. He walked back into the bathroom, backwards holding her robe out at arm length.   
  
"Thank you" she said daintily climbing out of the tub. She took the robe from him, and slid it on.   
  
"Can I look now?" he asked.   
  
"Sure" she said pushing up her sleeve. The frost was still there but not as blue as before.   
  
"To bed with you, I'll make you some soup, then you can tell me what happened" Seifer said herding her out of the bathroom. She walked into her bedroom and put on one of her silky nightgowns. She slid under the covers just in time for Seifer, who carried her in a bowl of soup. She took it cupping her hands around it, trying to get the warmth. She ate slowly, savoring every hot bite. She told him about what Lachlan had said, Seifer listening with rapt attention.   
  
"Where would the rift have formed, we have to close it," Seifer said.   
  
"I know, but we also have to get Laguna back into Office" Quistis said.   
  
"I found out that tomorrow, the council of nine is having a press conference in the mall" he said sitting on the bed next to her.   
  
"That would be the perfect time to confront them with Laguna" she said. He nodded slowly, taking the empty bowl away from her.   
  
"You scared me today, don't faint like that again" he said softly.   
  
"Don't let anymore crazed ice sprits touch me then," she said. He smirked at her and pulled the blanket up over her.   
  
"Good night, Instructor" he said planting a kiss on her forehead. He stood up and started heading for the door.   
  
"Seifer" she said stopping him right before he had his hand on the knob. He turned and looked at her raising an eyebrow in silent question.   
  
"Would you stay with me, just for a little while" she asked the butterflies thumping in her stomach. He nodded and kicked his boots off lying down on top of the blanket next to her. She smiled looking across the pillows at him.   
  
"Thanks" she said sleepily.   
  
"Your welcome" he said slowly. She suddenly started shivering. Pulling the blanket tighter around her.   
  
"Cold?" he asked. She nodded her teeth chattering. He sighed slowly and stood up.   
  
"I'm sleeping in here tonight," he said stating it more as a fact then anything else. He slid his trench coat off, leaving all his cloths in a tidy pile on the floor. He stood there just in his black silk boxers, his muscles gleaming in the moonlight pouring in through the windows. He flicked the light off, darkness falling over the room. She stiffened a bit as she felt him slid into bed next to her. They weren't touching and she could still fell his warmth. It was so hard for her to think straight when he was this close. So much of him this close.   
  
"Quistis" he whispered her name as he put his arms around her and drew her close to him. He kissed her softly his warm lips lingering against hers. She leaned her head against his chest, feeling safe there in his arms. His warmth lasting through the night.   
  
  
  
I dont think I ever mentioned how much I love all of you for all the reviews I get. I finally broke 100, thank you all so much for helping me do that. It realy does mean a lot to me. :) 


	25. Torn

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Five~*~   
Torn 

  
  
  
  
  
She awoke the next morning still wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, but she was alone. Seifer was gone; all that remained was a single white rose lying on the pillow. She smiled a bit and picked it up, smelling its sweet sent. The petals were soft like velvet, brushing against her skin. She climbed out of bed and threw her robe on. She walked out to find the hotel room empty, light streaming in from the windows all around her. She breathed in deeply enjoying the smell of the rose, and the sun glistening off the city of Esthar.   
  
"He has to love me," she said slowly wanting only to believe it. She spun around as the door opened, a smile spreading slowly across her face. His hair shined like spun gold in the morning sun. Shoulders proud beneath his gray trench.   
  
"Good morning" he said flashing his smirk of perfect white teeth. I am so in love with him.   
  
"Morning" she said softly. He nodded and held up the pink box in his hand.   
  
"Doughnuts, hope your hungry" he said. She nodded and sat down next to him on the couch.   
  
"I've all ready been on the phone with Laguna this morning" Seifer said taking a bite of a doughnut.   
  
"Is he coming to meet us?" she asked around her doughnut.   
  
"Squall too" he said nodding. Quistis smiled a bit seeing the frown on his face.   
  
"Anything else" she asked.   
  
"Yeah, Laguna said he might know where the rip formed," Seifer said slowly.   
  
"Oh yeah? Where?" Quistis asked.   
  
"The Lunatic Pandora" Seifer said quietly.   
  
"We have time to check it out before Laguna get here for the meeting today," she said brushing her hands off and standing up. He nodded and looked down at his hands while she went into to change.   
  
  
Renting a car was easier then they had thought it would be. They had enough Gil between them to bribe almost anyone. So now here they were with Seifer in the driver's seat speeding across the Ether continent. The Lunatic Pandora marred the surface of the land link and unhealed wound. The black metal monolith had crashed to its side after Time Compression.   
  
Seifer parked the car, pocketing the keys. They hesitated staring at the huge hole in the side of the building.   
  
"We fought last time we were here," Seifer said quietly.   
  
"It wasn't you," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.   
  
"Let's go," he said leading the way in through the metal hole. She followed quietly behind making sure her whip was at the ready she couldn't help but notice his hand curled around the hilt of his gunblade. The building around the creaked and moaned as the walked along the catwalk that led to what was the core.   
  
"Be careful, this whole place might collapse on us at any moment" she said softly   
  
"I know" he said   
  
"Gee, haven't I heard those words before" Quistis said under her breath. He spun around his eyes flashing with arrogance. He folded his arms across his chest.   
  
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.   
  
"I can't believe that you can shuck me off just like that, with two words" she said.   
  
"Is that what you think I did? Oh Hyne forbid things don't go exactly the way Instructor number 14, Quistis Trepe planed them" he said pursing his lips.   
  
"You could have at least handled it better, but oh that's right. You don't have any room in your heart for anyone, because you are so full of yourself" she shouted.   
  
"Well at least I have feelings little Miss Ice Queen," he said.   
  
"Do you not care about me at all?" she asked suddenly her voice quiet. He hesitated and suddenly through his hands up in the air.   
  
"Women" he said turning back around.   
  
"Seifer, Look out" Quistis said suddenly pushing him from behind. They went falling forward the catwalk swinging madly from side to side. A spirit loomed over them, a smile appearing on its rotting face.   
  
"Run" Seifer, said helping her to her feet. She slid past him head down the catwalk. Panic gripped her right to the heart. She heard him fighting behind her, metal ringing through the building. She skidded to a stop looking straight down into the ruined core.   
  
A giant hole was torn across the atmosphere. Purple rend, with spirits clinging to the edges of it. The inside of it swirled purple and black.   
  
"Shit" Seifer whispered from behind her gazing over her shoulder.   
  
"We better go, Laguna will be waiting" Quistis said grabbing the shoulder of his trench coat. He nodded still staring down into the rip. She pulled him along for a moment, before they both broke into a run leaving the black ruin behind.   
  
"I don't want to go back to Time Compression," he said firmly. She nodded taking the car keys from his hand.   
  
  
They hadn't been waiting long when Laguna and Squall arrived at their hotel room. Things were tense as they walked to the shopping mall together. Things were always tense around Seifer and Squall. The two of them, alike but different in so many ways. Like their scars, one going up and one going down. The two of them walked in front of her and Laguna. They cut easily though the crowd like a hot knife though butter. A small platform had been erected in the center of the mall. The council of nine was sitting on it around a podium. One chair was empty and Lachlan stood behind the podium speechless as he saw them approaching. All the people around them looked downtrodden and dirty.   
  
"I'm here to take back my city!" Laguna exclaimed.   
  
"You Lachlan Goldenspire, are under arrest for attacking a high ranking SeeD" Squall said in his usual cold voice hand resting on the glowing blue lionheart.   
  
"You can not arrest us! We rule this city" Lachlan said Quistis sighting the slow white film growing over his eyes.   
  
"Not anymore" Seifer said deadly quiet.   
  
"Don't let him touch you" Quistis whispered. Seifer gave her a curt nod never taking his eyes from Lachlan. The other eight members of the council stood up suddenly all at once. White film covering their eyes, their faces twisted in rage.   
  
"Inhuman beasts" Seifer muttered pulling his gunblade.   
  
"Protect Laguna" Squall said to her as he rushed beside Seifer in battle. She uncoiled her whip standing protectively in front of Laguna.   
  
"Triple, Aura" Quistis whispered watching the yellow haze appear over all three of them. Renzozkun, Fire cross.   
  
"Mighty Guard" she said. Surprisingly Laguna pulled a machine gun from no where and was slowly loading it with bullets. He stood shooting from the background with expert aim. Everything seemed to be going to well when one of the spirits leaped right over Seifer and Squall's head landing on all four limbs in front of her. It growled and snapped at her like a dog. She tore into it with her whip, concentrating solely on battle. It had been so long since a real battle with her Save the Queen. She wasn't use to the strain. The spirit saw an opening and took it. He shoved her out of the way bounding into Laguna. Quistis watched from the ground in horror as the thing grabbed Laguna by the shoulders. The former president of Esthar struggled against it. The spirit slowly put its lips on Laguna's with a cruel smile. Laguna went rigged suddenly his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His skin turned a shade of blue that should never be.   
  
"Squall!" Quistis shouted meekly. There was a sudden flash of blue and the spirit was gone, Laguna falling to the ground in a heap. Squall leaned over him and took his pulse.   
  
"Alive, barely" Squall said sadly. Quistis stood up just as Seifer executed the final blow on Lachlan. She walked over as Seifer leaned over his dying body.   
  
"It's too late, the others are coming. All the others" Lachlan whispered before his body started to crumble. Quistis met Seifer's eyes as the slowly stood up. She turned and looked around at all the scared faces of the people. She took a deep breath and stepped up to the podium.   
  
  
  
  
A/n: The end is so near! Can you feel it? :) Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. You guys kick ass! 


	26. Speech

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Six~*~   
Speech 

  
  
  
  
  
"Attention, people of Esthar" Quistis said only slightly surprised when her voice ringed out over the whole mall. Faces turned up to look at her, pale and dark. All eyes were on her.   
  
"These evil men have been brain washing you. Their only plans are to take over this world starting with Esthar. More of their kind are on its way right now" she said meeting Seifer's eyes.   
  
"What are we going to do" a voice called out from the crowd.   
  
"You can run. Or you can stay and fight. I know we can't beat these if we just try. We need your help" Quistis said. She had never really been a good motivational speaker. Quistis thought she sounded positively lame, and was quite surprised when she saw heads nodding though out the crowd.   
  
"She's right" A voice called from within the crowd.   
  
"So will you stay and fight with us?" Quistis said softly. The crowd cheered fists pumping into the air. She looked over at Seifer who was nodding satisfactorily at her. She grinned and started barking commands through the microphone, as people scurried away to their positions. At the last instant Elleone came bounding though the remaining people.   
  
"Uncle Laguna!" She exclaimed falling to her knees beside Squall.   
  
"You two get him to the hospital, things are fine here" Quistis said softly. Squall said nothing as he scooped Laguna up into his arms carrying him away. Quistis stepped off the stage standing beside Seifer smiling in triumph.   
  
"Not bad, Instructor. Not as mediocre as I thought you were" he said with his smirk. Things were so busy around them, Quistis' mind whirling.   
  
"We have to discover how to close the rip," Quistis said.   
  
"Yeah, hopefully before this battle comes" Seifer said.   
  
"I'll go talk to Dr.Odine, maybe he has some ideas" she said. He nodded.   
  
"I'll go to the hotel room and look through your papers there, maybe they lead to some clue" he said.   
  
"We'll meet back here?"   
  
"See you here" he said kissing her lightly on the cheek before rushing off his trench flapping wildly behind him. She turned grinning and ran for Dr. Odine's lab.   
  
  
  
She burst into the lab out of breath cheeks red. Quistis looked around frantically finding Dr. Odine at last in his own office.   
  
"Mz. Trepe!" he exclaimed.   
  
"How do I close a tear in Time Compression" she said wasting no time at all. The Doctor's eyes flew open his head bobbing.   
  
"There must be two people to do it, it is extremely dangerous though," he said.   
  
"The whole city of Esthar is in danger. Tell me now" Quistis said.   
  
"One must go into Time Compression, with my machine. The other must wait for them here. The one in Time Compression must exit through the rip with the help of the other," Dr. Odine said.   
  
"That doesn't sound to bad" She said her eyes glowing with anticipation.   
  
"Yes, but the one going in must wear this" he tossed a small shining gold pendent to her.   
  
"Ok " She said.   
  
"It is possible that you will not be strong enough to climb out" he said.   
  
"It will be fine," she said turning to leave.   
  
"Careful child it's very dangerous" he called after her.   
  
"I'm taking the machine with me" she said leaving the lab and heading down the corridor.   
  
"How do you plan to do that?" Odine asked following her down the stairs into the lowered glass encased room.   
  
"Shrink" she cast the rarely known spell on the machine. It shrank to the size of a small doll. She picked it up tucking it into her pocket. She left the lab and Dr Odine then, ignoring his protests.   
  
  
  
She slipped the pendent over her head patting it before gazing around at the empty streets. She was amazed at how well the people of Esther pulled together. She hiked her skirt and began to run again heading for the shopping mall. Her feet clinked along the glass road as she ran. When she skidded to a stop in the shopping mall, she was surprised to see Elleone standing there.   
  
"What's going on?" Quistis asked looking around for Seifer.   
  
"Seifer, he's gone ahead. He told me to tell you not to come. He wanted me to give you this" Elleone handed her a perfect white rose, like the one he had left for her at the hotel.   
  
"He can't do it alone!" Quistis exclaimed.   
  
"You must go help him," Elleone said deadly serious. Quistis nodded that realization coming to her.   
  
"Take my hovercraft" Elleone said tossing her the keys. Quistis caught them in one hand giving the girl a grateful smile before heading in a dead run for the parking garage.   
  
  
  
The garage was a huge building Elleone shining up to date hover craft waiting for her. She fumbled with the keys a moment, before finding the right one and shoving it into the ignition. She sped out of the garage and across the plains of Esthar. She looked down constantly scanning the ground for Seifer. She at last spotted him striding across the dessert trench coat flailing widely behind him. The gray stuck out like a sore thumb against all the brown. She landed easily in front of him throwing the door open.   
  
"Just what the hell do you think you are doing?" she said her anger rising over her fear for him. She climbed out of the car and stood in front of him looking up at his eyes.   
  
"You weren't spossed to come," he said flatly.   
  
"You don't know how to close the rift, what was I going to do let you come out here alone and die?" she exclaimed.   
  
"Yes" he replied his voice still flat.   
  
"No! Not after all I've done to save you. I will not let you die now! I thought you said you didn't want to fail anymore" she exclaimed. Those words seemed to strike a cord with him. He looked down staring into her blue orbs.   
  
"You're right. Let's go," he said putting his hand on her shoulder. She sighed and rested her cheek against his hand. They stood there like that for only moments before Quistis led him into the hovercraft.   
  
  
  
A/N: *Crinkles nose* I don't like this chapy. Oh and I don't think Shrink ws in FF8, but hell it was in like every other FF ever so I didn't think it was a big deal for her to use it, k?   
I Will never post this in a saturday again! Omg I was at the end of the Just In list half way through the day, so I'll prolly keep posting about wednesday. Only two or three more chapys :D Anyways *yawnies* time to go take a nap :) 


	27. White

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Seven~*~   
White 

  
  
  
  
  
The hospital was a cold place. White walls, white sheets, white floor. Everything was sterile and clean smelling. Nurses and doctors walked briskly down the hallways carrying clipboards. A mans voiced boomed out over the intercom. But Squall sat in a world alone. Planted on a small wooden stool next to a single white-sheeted bed. His father lay there, long chocolate hair splayed wildly on the pillow around him. Laguna's skin had turned cerulean like the waters of the deep ocean. Squall lowered his head resting his forehead on Laguna's icy chest. No heartbeat sounded from there, it didn't rise with his breath. A single lone crystalline tear rolled from Squalls cloudy gray eyes.   
  
"Good-bye father" Squall said pushing himself up. He strode through the clean halls and out through the glistening double doors. He searched the horizon his eyes spotting a great moving mass marring the desert floor. White almost colorless shifting, constantly moving and heading right for Esthar. Squall drew the glimmering blue gunblade at his side and ran down to join the town's people in their fight.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
Quistis was staring out across the desert floor, Seifer silent next to her. She had explained to him how they were spossed to close the rift, and now she was waiting for an answer.   
  
"I'm going in," he said at least exhaling.   
  
"No, Seifer I am" she said shaking her head.   
  
"I lived there for a long time, Instructor, It's only right that I go in" he growled.   
  
"I am going in" she said firmly her hands tightening on the steering mechanism. Suddenly Seifer leaned forward a bit in his seat clutching the armrests.   
  
"Holy shit" he said. Quistis stared out the window finally spotting what he was looking in at. A mass of moving white heading right them   
  
"The spirits" Quistis said in awe of the huge cloud.   
  
"Plow through them" he said firmly. She nodded gripping the handles fear shinning in her pretty blue eyes. They sped toward the white mass, it rolling towards them. When they collided it was like trying to move through stone. Faces stared into the hovercraft windows, some horrid, some lost, some panicked.   
  
"Not all of them are here because they want to be" Seifer said pressing a gloved hand against the window. She laid into the gas trying to get them through it.   
  
"Faster Quistis" he said, "we have to stop them before they get to Esthar. It will be a slaughter"   
  
"I know" she replied a little scared he didn't say which side would get slaughtered. At last in a fleeting instant she saw a hole appear. Taking her change she punched on the gas spending them speeding out into the desert. She finally allowed herself to breathe.   
  
"Good drivin'," he said with his usual smirk. She grinned back at him landing before the black Lunatic Pandora. He climbed out looking up at the huge building memories coming back to him.   
  
"Ready?" she asked standing next to him.   
  
"Wait" he said softly turning to look at her. She looked up into his forest colored eyes.   
  
"What is it Seifer?" she asked. There was no fear in his eyes, only anticipation.   
  
"If one of us doesn't come out of there, I just wanted to do this first" he said leaning down his eyes fluttering shut. Their lips met, and the entire world froze around them for that moment. For that moment they were just two lovers in love. When he pulled away at last he took her hand and they headed into the Lunatic Pandora.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
The air was thick around all the townspeople as Squall walked amongst them. So many people looked at him in awe. Ultimicia had done wonders for his reputation. The people of Esthar had faced an evil sorceress, spirits couldn't be much worse. He took his place in the front of the lines next to a young man holding a staff with a blade at each end.   
  
"H-hello Mr. Leonhart" he stammered a bit before bowing to Squall. Squall loftily raised one eyebrow.   
  
"What's your name?" he asked.   
  
"Tyrel" the boy answered visibly tensing.   
  
"Any good with that weapon?" Squall asked.   
  
"Oh yes sir, I was planing on joining SeeD, but all the Gardens are too far away," Tyrel said nodding his head. Squall smiled and drew his gunblade slowly.   
  
"I'll watch your back, you watch mine?" Squall said. Tyrel nodded staring at the length of the blue blade.   
  
"Here they come" Squall said pointing to the cloud on the horizon.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
Seifer was quite impressed when enlarged the machine. It was a spell he had never seen before. She smiled at him, lifting the pendent out of her pocket.   
  
"Ok, give it" he said. He held out his black gloved hand, waiting. She slowly lowered, watching the golden chain pile into a little mound. Suddenly Seifer tumbled forward being hit from behind. The pendent clinked to the catwalk, too large to fall through the grid. A huge grinning spirit stood behind Seifer, it's eyes glowing red.   
  
"Not again" he said drawing the sleek Hyperion. He began his dance thinking only of the kill. Quistis scrambled after the pendent, catching it between her fingers. She wasn't about to let him go back into Time Compression. Not after she had rescued him, gone to jail twice, and thought he had died. No, she wasn't ready to risk the life of Seifer Almasy again. The pendent fit easily over her hair not even getting tangled in her red-gold locks.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
"Hold steady Tyrel" Squall said over the sounds of bullets. Those that had guns were all ready unleashing rounds at the fast approaching white cloud. The boy was shaking, his eyes wide as the moon.   
  
"For you father," Squall said softly as the battle erupted around them. Clanking, screaming. It was all the sound of war. Tyrel stood anxiously next to him as spirits approached.   
  
"LION HEART" Squall shouted all his anger, hurt, and sadness finally exploding.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
The all too familiar cold metal of the time compression machine beckoned her. She turned to look at him one last time before pulling the switch, and stepping inside. He shouted dispersing the monster in one cruel blow. His gunblade clattered to the catwalk with a metal clunk when he spotted her inside the machine. He ran to her beating against the little window that revealed her face.   
  
"Quistis!" he screamed blue light filling the machine. When it cleared she was gone.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/n: The next time I update will be the LAST time I update on this story. It will be over. :(. Thank you all for sticking by me to this point.   
I hope you liked this chapter, hell I hope that you like all you've read. :) 


	28. Battle

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Eight~*~   
Battle 

  
  
  
  
  
It was so different, everything was. Everything different then the last two times she had been there. It was all more real. The ground black beneath her, the sky bleak and swirling. Quistis stood before the huge rift, remembering the last time she had seen it from this side; Spirits had clung to it then. Now it was just a bleak hole, looking like it didn't belong. Her footsteps echoed across the endless skies as she approached it. She stared up into the rift, her eyes widening. She was greeted with a sheer cliff side sparing straight up into a black unknown. She sighed and stepped through the rift.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
Tyrel hadn't lied when he said he was good with the bladed staff. He and Squall fought beside each other, using healing magic when needed. The army of spirits never seemed to end. Going on and on forever like to rolling sea, it waves were separate spirits attacking. Esthar's dead littered the battlefield. They gunshots had long ago stopped, ammo running low. It was left to those with melee weapons. Which weren't many. It seemed they were fighting an endless battle.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
She touched the cliff side, feeling the rough rock, staring upward.   
  
"This must be what Dr.Odine meant about climbing out of the rift," Quistis said. She searched along for some handhold, finding nothing easy. She jumped her hands clasping around the small juts in the rock. She began to climb the rough surface, wishing she had a pair of gloves to protect her from the harsh rock. Her knees scraped against it, tearing her pants. She climbed.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
Seifer was pissed. How could he not be after she had done that. It was too dangerous for her. The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt like that. Now he sat on the cat walk his feet hanging over the edge staring down into the purple swirling rift. He stood slowly as he heard noises behind him. He swirled around drawing his Hyperion. The sleek black metal pointed at the heart of who stood there. His eyes grew wide breath catching in the back of his throat.   
  
"It can't be," he said   
  


~*~ 

  
  
"Come on Quistis, why are they still here" Squall asked getting impatient. He wasn't weary yet, but Tyrel was little woozy on his feet. The spirits kept coming. Now monsters had started appearing amongst them. Mesmerizes, and worst of all Behemoths. People screamed in agony around them as they fought. The gunshots had started again, the ammo dealer at least giving up his entire store to the fight. More people appeared from around them, the Esthar guard finally showing up. At last the battle was starting too look up. Squall couldn't help but notice that the cloud was still coming.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
And still Quistis climbed. She didn't know how long she had been climbing but it felt like forever. Her hands were torn and bleeding. She pulled herself up over a ridge discovering a small out cove big enough for her to sit on. A small stagnant puddle of water was there. She cupped her hands and took a deep drink, not minding the taste at all. She rested for a few moments leaning against the cliff side, trying to catch her breath. She looked up still not seeing any sign of the top. She brushed her hair from her eyes not letting the tears come. She wasn't ready to give up yet. Not ready to allow herself to be beaten.   
  
"Seifer would never let himself be beaten," she said getting to her feet. She took another drink before turning to look at the rock. She set her lips into a determined line and began to climb again.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
"Seifer, my pet" the words hissed from her black painted lips. Her wings folded around her staring down at him like a dog.   
  
"Ultimicia, how did you..?" he deadpanned unable to find the right words to say.   
  
"All dead spirits live in time compression, my killer" she replied taking a step closer to him.   
  
"Stay back" he said stonily.   
  
"You don't love me anymore? Oh Seifer, I know that a piece of me will always be carried in you. In your heart" she whispered pushing his gunblade aside with one black gloved hand.   
  
"I will not succumb to you again," he said.   
  
"Of course you will, you love me" she hissed her amber eyes hungry.   
  
"No! There is someone else I love!" he exclaimed gritting his teeth. He fell forward to his knees fighting against her presence in his mind.   
  
"Then why don't you tell her, say the three little words?" Ultimicia asked.   
  
"I'm scared," Seifer said looking up into the eyes of his former mistress. She like the string on a marionette he began to stand up slowly, jerkily, not of his own accord.   
  
"Scared, just like the little boy you are Seifer" she said.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
"I thought the Estharian guard were the best in the world?" Squall said out loud to no one in particular as he watched solider after solider fall to the spirits.   
  
"At least they gave us time to rest" Tyrel said from his perch next to him.   
  
"True" Squall said taking a deep breath.   
  
"Is battle always like this?" Tyrel asked softly.   
  
"Yes, it is" Squall said.   
  
"Then I don't know if I want to be a SeeD. This is all too much," the boy said. Squall looked at him seeing the fear lying behind his brace façade.   
  
"This will be your last battle then, kid, let's go be glorious together" Squall said giving him one of his rare smiles.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
The pain in her hands was beginning to become unbearable. It was so hard just to take that next step. That next grip. She fought with all her might all her energy. Praying she wouldn't fall she reached for the next grip missing it by inches her other hand almost falling. She closed her clutching onto the rock.   
  
"Oh Seifer, I love you. Don't let me die here, like this," she said opening her eyes slowly. Suddenly like magic the top of the rift was hovering there before her. It's purple edges fluttering wildly in the breeze from the Pandora. Where was he, she didn't know how much long her could hold on.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
"I shall control you now, like I did then" Ultimicia's voice rang in his ears. He tried to shake his head, cold settling down around him. He fought against her, his eyes never leaving her. His body, his mind, his whole spirit fighting against her. He had never fought like this against her before; she had an amused look on her face.   
  
"And the first thing you shall do, my pet, my killer, is kill the one that you love" she said. At that moment something snapped inside Seifer and he hand tightened on the hilt of his Hyperion.   
  
"Never" he whispered. Ultimicia arched one eyebrow elegantly. He found something within himself then, something that would allow her never to take him over again. Love.   
  
"QUISTIS" he shouted his gunblade flashing as it sliced through the spirit of Ultimicia.   
  
"SEIFER!" she heard his voice behind her, emanating from the rift. He dropped his gunblade running down the catwalk. One on her hands thrust itself up out of the rift, bleeding. He caught it easily in one gloved hand leaning back to pull her up. The Pandora began to shake around them, as her head left the rift. Her body followed quickly he catwalk swinging. The whole place rattling. Finally both of her feet were on the unstable piece of metal.   
  
"Run" she said. He grabbed her hand pulling him behind her as the rushed from the Pandora. The rift was sucking it all in, metal blackness melting into the center. The Time Compression machine narrowly missed them as it slid towards the middle. They reached the exit both of the jumping. There was a loud bang from behind them a ring echoing out from the wreckage. The force of the ring blowing past them, ruffling Quistis' hair wildly. They lay there on the sand for a moment together just drinking in the site of one another.   
  
"Don't ever do that to me again" he said with a smirk. She laughed and kissed him then.   
  


~*~ 

  
  
Squall looked up sound echoing across the desert. A great ring of dust and power rushed at the white cloud of spirits. It tore through them, sending them flying pieces disintegrating. The ring stopped inches before the people of Esthar.   
  
"Good job, Quistis" he said under his breath as cheer began to sound around them. There were more gunshots, the gunpowder lighting up the darkening sky. Sounds of exclamation and sadness were heard all around them. Tyrel cheered pumping his fist into the air.   
  
"Wait till President Loire hears about this!" Tyrel said looking up at Squall. He looked sadly down at the boy, his gray eyes misting over again. Squall dropped a hand to the boys shoulder.   
  
"I'm sorry, but President Loire is dead" Squall said his breath hitching in the back of his throat. 


	29. Funeral

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Chapter Twenty-Nine~*~   
Funeral 

  
  
  
  
  
The ocean was so blue that day, the sky a mirror too it not cluttered at all with clouds. The simple white tomb stone shone next to the one that was a bit older. Raine and Laguna were at least together again. Quistis stood next to Seifer, both sheathed in the finest black cloths. Elleone stood feet away with Ward and Kiros. Squall stood with Rinoa in front of his father and his mother's graves. Behind them all loomed the entire town populace of Esthar. It had been a job getting them to Winhil, in the mobile garden. But, no one had wanted to stay behind. Everyone had wanted to pay their last respects to their Former President Laguna Loire. Tears wet on all their cheeks, as the Priestess of Hyne said a few words sprinkling rose petals over both of their graves.   
  
"And now we finish up with anyone who wants to say anything" the priestess said stepping away from the graves. Everyone was shocked to see Squall step up first. It was amazing to see him so emotional in front of all those people.   
  
"I know it's too late. I know I should have came to you when I had the chance. I will regret that for the rest of my life. I have to say it now though. I forgive you Dad, and I love you" Squall said tears rolling freely down his cheeks. He walked shakily forward them and collapsed into Rinoa, sobbing into her shoulder. Everyone had something to say. All the members of the orphanage gang plus Ward and Kiros. Roses and flowers littered the ground around the graves.   
  
  
  
Quistis took a deep breath stepping forward. Her eyes searched the crowd, the place filling with an overwhelming sadness. She closed her eyes and began to speak.   
  
"All of our loss is great on this day, but we must remember one thing. Laguna wanted us all to live life the best we can. We must all try to do that, for him" she said her voice carrying over the crowd. Her eyes brimmed over with tears at the end of the little speech.   
  
"It is time for Esthar to pick a new president" Quistis said quietly her voice carrying easily over the crowd. Ellone walked over to her carrying the velvet red sash that Laguna had always worn on formal occasions.   
  
"I think we all ready had someone in mind" Elleone said slipping the sash over Quistis' head. Applause rang out through the crowd for the second time again that day. Seifer applauded with them a satisfied look on his face as he met her shocked eyes. 


	30. Epilogue

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Epilogue   
White Roses   
@§------'-----,--- 

  
  
  
  
  
Quistis walked into the presidential palace with a sigh. Heading toward the area where the living quarters were her high heels clicked along the golden marble floors. A briefcase bumped against her leg occasionally. She was dying to get out of the business suite she had been trapped in all day. The meetings were long, but interesting filled with intrigue and politics. She loved her new job. One of her first orders of business was remodeling the D-district prison.   
  
  
  
When she had went to the Garden to pack her things she thought it would be hard to say good bye. It wasn't as hard as she thought. Realizing she hadn't thought of Garden as home in a long time was the hard part. She still saw her friends though, they had decided to build a Garden in Esthar. Not to far from the town, so she could travel there and visit anytime she wanted.   
  
  
  
Seifer was gone. The morning after she had been proclaimed president she had awaken to find a single white rose sitting on her nightstand. She had cried for an hour, but had shoved it all aside getting lost in her job. That was what she did, she was the Ice Queen after all. That had all been two weeks ago.   
  
  
  
Quistis sighed pushing open the huge doors to her living quarters. She stopped suddenly her heart thumping deeply in her chest. Lying there on the ground was a single white rose petal, another one a few feet away from it. She walked along the hallway following the trail of petals right into her bedchamber where a long black box rested on her bed.   
  
  
  
She dropped her briefcase sitting down on the bed. She flipped the top off the box revealing a mass of black fabric. She pulled it out, it rippling to the ground. Small gems winked up at her all through the black dress. It looked as if someone had cut a swatch from the stars and made it into a dress. It was exactly the same as the dress she had worn in Time Compression. She looked around spotting another trial of petals leading out the door on the other side of her room. She quickly threw her suite off slipping the soft fine fabric of the dress over her head.   
  
  
  
She turned to look at herself in the mirror noticing a new picture hanging on the wall next to her mirror. It was the one Seifer had painted of her, which she had found so long ago in his apartment. She stared at it for a moment quickly pinning her now restored blond hair up. She stared in the mirror for a few moments unbelieving the site she saw. She began to follow the petals again through the door and down the long corridor that led to the ballroom.   
  
  
  
She grinned and began to run the hem of her dress sending white petals fluttering over the marble. She burst into the ballroom, the huge doors banging open. Music filled the room, in which the lights were dimmed. Candies sat every where sending flicking shadows along the wall and the glass done above. He stood there with his back to her. He was wearing a black tuxedo, a wine bottle and two wineglasses in his hand. He turned to look at her his eyes shining with happiness. He smirked, meeting her eyes.   
  
"Seifer" she gasped taking in the site of him in a tuxedo. He popped the top of the wine and poured them each a glass handing one elegantly to her.   
  
"The dress..How?" she asked.   
  
"You'd be surprised how good Fuijin is with a needle" he said smirking holding his wineglass up.   
  
"What are we toasting to" she asked raising a blond eyebrow.   
  
"To not being scared anymore," he said softly clinking his glass to hers. She smiled not quite understanding what he meant. They drank the smirk never leaving his face. He set the wineglass down on the piano near by and reached into his pocket. Her eyes grew wide as he dropped to his knee before her. He pulled out a small black box. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. The box creaked open revealing a shining diamond ring inside.   
  
"Will you marry me Quistis?" he said slowly softly as he took the ring from the box. She stared in amazement as he slipped it on her finger. It was a perfect fit. She stared at the glimmering a jewel for a few moments.   
  
"Yes!" she exclaimed suddenly tears welling in her eyes. He stood up a genuine smiled spreading across her face. He hugged her twirling around the dress rustling.   
  
"Dance?" he asked starting to sway with her a bit to the music. They began to dance, this time a real midnight dance. One they would remember forever.   
  
"Quisty?" he said softly using her old childhood name.   
  
"Yeah?" she said looking up into his eyes dreamily.   
  
"I love you" he said the words flowing easily from his lips. She grinned holding him tighter.   
  
"I know," Quistis said sealing the space between their lips with a kiss.   
  
  


  
-----'----,-§@ **~Fin~** @§-,----'---- 


	31. Notes and Thanks

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


~*~Authors Notes and Thanks~*~   


  
  
  
  
  
*waves hello to everyone* Well it's finally over! I must say I really liked the way this story turned out. I'm sad to see it over. There was a time when I thought I wasn't going to finish it. I am so glad that I had the support of people here, and that I did. Anyways on to the thanks, what your all here for ;).   
  
**grrl gamer**~ Thank you so much for being the first reviewer on this story! Its amazing to me how you stuck with me through the whole thing too. I'm glad that someone of your caliber of writing can appriciate my story. I love Innfatuated Souls!   
  
**Lisa** ~ Thanks Loyd for being the only one of mine of my friends not attached to a computer who read this. Means a lot to me.   
  
**NaTaku** ~ Hi! I'm glad you liked this story. I want you to know that you were a lot of the insperation for this. All of your wonderful Seiftis's   
  
**Jacks** ~ *Huggles* *Glomps* Thanks for all of your reviews. You gave me a whole bunch right at the time when I was thinking about stopping this. Your reviews and support kept me writing. Your very majestic ;)   
  
**Dalpal** ~ I dont want One More Day, I just want A day with Seifer ;). Heheh j/k. Thank you for all your reviews. I love that little =0.0= face, it always makes me smile.   
  
**Ifalna ** ~ My god, you write the most beautiful Seiftis's. Your lemons are tasteful, unlike some of the trash that is lying around here. It means a lot that you read this!! Thank you so much for reading!   
  
**Female Imposta Sephy** ~ Thank you for sticking by me. Your reviews were always so nice and so encouraging. I looked forward to each and everyone. Hope to read more from you soon!   
  
**Saiyanbrat** Thank you for all your reviews! Do you have an account? Your never signed in.. or else I would have reviewed something of yours!   
  
**Tiy ** ~ *is still hiding from the watermelon you treatened to throw at her in her last review* Hi! *peaks up over the computer moniter*   
  
**Jello Ink** ~ Thanks for reading! I remember the first time I reviewed one of your stories it was sortta not nice. I'm, sorry :((. *huggles you* Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.   
  
**tigerlily35184** ~ Thanks for all the reviews! they were always so nice.   
  
**Emy** ~ Hi. I honestly don't know if you ever finished this story. You said you don't normally review. But the fact that you took the time to review my story ment heaps to me. Seriously I read the review about 12 times, and I cried. It was so sweet. I hope that you do get to finish this.   
  
**Akira Aarons** ~ Ah a new favorite author of mine. Your Seiftis is great! And wow! thanks for taking the time to read this story!   
  
**Glacial Phoenix Mystiara** ~ :) Thank you for your reviews. They always make me smile and laugh. You are a great writer!   
  
**Quistis88** ~ You are wonderful for sticking by me through this entire story! Wow it make me feel so good to know that someone is reading! Thank you!   
  
**Sleeping Soul** ~ It amazaed me to see that I am on your favorite authors list. It amazed me when you spent 2 hours to read this whole fic. I always thought that someone who is a good a writer as you are would ever notice me. Thank you so much for making my day and reading this.   
  
**seyenaidni** ~ Thank you so much for reading! Your comments always make me laugh!   
  
**Diskord** ~ You said this was original!!! that was what I was hopeing for!! I wanted to be orignial!! thank you so much for confirming that I was!!   
  
**Brazen Angel** ~ OMG you MUST finish your fic soon! It is so good! Thank you! For reading that is! Your reviews were great!   
  
  
  
  
  
My favorite reviews to read were the ones everyone left after Seifer said the fated "I know". Hehe thoose are great. Here are some of the best quotes from thoose.   
grrl gamer ~ Argh! "I know!" Seifer's such a bastard!   
Female Imposta Sephy ~ SEIFER THAT PUNK!! I cannot believe he said..."I know" I would have hit him if I were Quistis......GAW   
Jacks ~ Seifer is being a bastard...unless he's got something planned. Once again...bastard...he should have said I love you too!!!!!!!!   
seyenaidni ~ U STUPID SEIFER lol...he probably was like "SHIZ WAT DO I SAY"   
Sleeping Soul ~ Seifer! You big stupid jerk! ::throws pencil at him:: Uh-oh, now he must face the wrath of Quisty...   
  
Anyways thank you all so much for reading.   
  
  
  
Well what do you think, does there need to be a sequal?   
Yes, No? :) Let me know! 


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